West Bank: Population and healthcare actors, such as MSF, 'still facing movement restrictions'

Olive harvesters forced from their land by Israeli settlers who have also seen torched cars in the West Bank town of Nablus. That's according to local media. Settlers also reportedly vandalising olive trees in the nearby village of Bourqa near Ramallah on Monday. While the bombings and killings, genocide in Gaza continues, there has been an increased violence seen in the West Bank in recent months. In the city of Hebron, locals are still coming to terms with the recent raid by the Israeli military. Hundreds had been forced from their homes, which were badly damaged during a blockade on the city. Well, to get the latest on the situation in the West Bank, we can cross now to the coordinator for Hebron for Doctors Without Borders, Frederica Venturi. Thanks so much for your time. Can I start simply by asking you, what's the latest you're hearing on that situation in the largest city there, the city of Hebron, this Tuesday? Yes, good morning and thank you for having me. So, the military operation finished last Monday, 2nd of November. So, the Israeli army withdrew from Hebron city. 3,300 people were forcibly displaced during the operation. So, currently what we see on the ground is that families are starting to return back home. Obviously, those families whose houses were demolished have nowhere to go back to. And however, even if the army withdrew from the city, the population and health care actors, MSF, we are still facing movement restrictions. So several gates to the city or in other areas of Hebron are still closed and some are being opened only sporadically. Obviously, these movement restrictions during the lockdown have prevented patients from reaching health care. Can you tell us a bit more about this blockade of the city, what prompted it and how did they try and justify their actions, such destruction? So during the lockdown the access to the Hebron city was very limited and whatever the action, whatever the motivations of the military operation, what we witnessed on the ground was that the military operation has disrupted people's lives. Families were forced from their homes and left, they were faced with uncertainty about where they could go and left them worried if they could As you said there, people are starting to return to their homes. What are you hearing from them? So what we understand from the community, what we hear from people is that 15 houses had been demolished. So obviously these families have no home to go back to. However, the families who are able to go back home, they told us that they found their houses damaged, even items broken inside the houses. So, for instance, at MSF, we had to support a family with. Basic items, basic items, meaning mattresses and blankets, because they did not have these items anymore because they were damaged during the military operation. And you said that movement had been restricted and access even to necessities like health care prevented. Today, though, are supplies being allowed in? So today, during the lockdown, the movements were hindered. So during the lockdown, actual medical supplies were not able to enter and this triggered critical shortages. Yes. The current movement restrictions are still hindering movements. of supplies and of healthcare actors so it is important to flag that the lockdown exacerbated existing medical shortages in Hebron's health systems so hospitals reported shortages of medicine especially shortages of chronic health Treatments for chronic diseases and also as MSF we were not able to bring in medical supplies during the lockdown. We were only able to organise the shipment of medical supplies after the lockdown was lifted. Okay so a big lag on that. We've concentrated on the city of Hebron, Frederica, but outside of there what can you tell us about the situation across the West Bank where we have seen violence sharply increase? So Hebron needs to be understood within the wider context of the West Bank, where communities are also facing settler violence, attacks during attacks which are exacerbated currently during the olive harvest. Palestinians are facing displacement and settlement expansion. So these pressures reinforce one another and create an environment of persistent insecurity for Palestinians. So as MSF, we call on the Israeli authorities to lift the restrictions that prevent civilians from accessing essential health care and also to ensure safe movement of patients, of health care workers and of medical supplies. And we call to protect civilians from forced displacement and other harm. Indeed, protection of human rights. Federica Venturi of Doctors Without Borders, thanks so much for your time and bringing us more insight into that situation in the West Bank. Very much appreciated. Thank you for having us.