**Israeli restrictions continue to make life “extremely hard” for Palestinians in the West Bank, the International Committee of the Red Cross has said.**For Palestinians, getting to school, work or hospital is virtually impossible, it said in a statement.
They are also frequently harassed by Jewish settlers, says the report.
Living a “normal life” is virtually impossible, and the ICRC calls on Israel to find a balance between its security and Palestinians’ rights.
Restrictions linked to Israeli settlements have deprived many Palestinian farmers of their land, meaning an estimated 50% of the West Bank’s population live in poverty, said the Red Cross.
“We reiterate our call on Israel to do more to protect Palestinians in the West Bank against settler violence”
Beatrice Megevand-Roggo
ICRC
Israeli settlers ‘still building’
“The ICRC has repeatedly called for action to be taken to allow Palestinians to live their lives in dignity,” said ICRC head of operations in the Middle East, Beatrice Megevand-Roggo.
“We reiterate our call on Israel to do more to protect Palestinians in the West Bank against settler violence, to safeguard their land and crops, to allow families to repair their houses and to assure that all Palestinians can get to hospital or to school without delay.”
In November, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a 10-month cessation of building new settlements in the West Bank, a precondition demanded by the Palestinians for peace talks.
But according to information released by the Israeli government, around 30 settlements are still being developed in defiance of the order.
US attempts to revive peace talks have stalled over the Jewish settlement issue.
Palestinians say they will not return to peace talks unless Israel stops settlement building in the West Bank.
Israel has a long-standing commitment under an existing peace plan to stop settlement growth.
All settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are considered illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.