Emergency Zoom Forum with the U.N.
Conditions on the Ground in the West Bank

References:

• The humanitarian situation in the West Bank as of mid-October 2022 Trends, concerns and necessary actions Presentation by Lucia Elmi, Humanitarian Coordinator a.i. for the occupied Palestinian territory and UNICEF Special Representative to the State of Palestine

• Humanitarian impact of the closures around Nablus
  Inter-agency visit on health, education, MHPSS, protection and access related issues
  OCHA/UNICEF/UNRWA/WHO/OHCHRon behalf of WB-ICCG 24 Oct 2022

• Humanitarian impact of the closure of Shu’fat Refugee Camp Rapid initial visit to community representatives UNRWA/OCHA/WHO/UNICEFon behalf of WB-ICCG 13 October 2022

• UNOCHA HUMANITARIAN ALERT:INCREASING VIOLENCE AND MOVEMENT RESTRICTIONS IN THE WEST BANK, 13 OCTOBER 2022

• UNOCHA Map: Closures around Nablus City 24 October 2022

• Two Nights of Settler Violence Follow Killing of Israeli Soldier, 14 October 2022, Yesh Din — Volunteers for Human Rights

• Al Haq Tweet: The International Federation for Human Rights, including the Director of Al Haq, met with the President of the Republic of France Emmanuel Macron for two hours, 27 October 2022

Oct. 19, 2021: Rebuilding Alliance convened Emergency Zoom Forums to help Congressional Staff and constituents learn more about the escalating humanitarian emergency in the West Bank. After two Israeli soldiers were killed in the West Bank on October 8th and 11th, Jerusalem’s Shuafat Refugee Camp + neighboring towns then the greater Nablus area were entirely blockaded. Tragically, the killings continue, as do the closures, settler violence, home demolitions, and night raids / arrests of children.

On Oct. 17th, Rebuilding Alliance held an exclusive emergency Zoom briefing for Hill staff, with the UN’s Acting Humanitarian Coordinator for the oPT, Lucia Elmi. Here are her slides.

On Oct. 19th, we held an open Zoom Forum and received good feedback (watch here).

Hosted by RA's Executive Director, Donna Baranski-Walker, Rebuilding Alliance gathered insightful speakers, with special welcome to our Al Haq colleague as we #StandWithTheSix :

• Andrea De Domenico, Acting Head of UNOCHA in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
  (yes, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)

• Dan Owen, Researcher and author of the position paper “Investigating Themselves”
  with the Israeli human rights NGO, Yesh Din — Volunteers for Human Rights

• Aseel AlBajeh, Legal Researcher and Advocacy Officer
  at the Palestinian human rights NGO, Al-Haq

By the end of the week, the U.S. State Department called for de-escalation and a period of calm, but the crisis escalated.

As noted by Andrea De Domenico, “The smallest incident during a time like this could spark a much larger conflagration of violence.”  

Rebuilding Alliance works in partnership with those who choose nonviolence to bring safety, justice, and restore unrestricted freedom of moment to and between the Palestinian families, neighborhoods, and towns. When Constituents ask for help with an 'urgent issue involving a Federal agency', members of Congress will intervene and that can make all the difference for a Palestinian family, school, neighborhood, village, or town.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or concerns.