Situation In Jericho

A call for help
By the Public and Non- governmental Organizations
To Peace Lovers and Human Rights Institutions all over the world

The Palestinian people shared the American people their crisis; they showed solidarity and sympathized with the families of the victims of the recent terrorist act in New York and Washington. Palestinians realize the agony and pain that America went through since they experience the same kind of feelings every day and night as a result of the Israeli occupation imposed on them since 1967.
While Americans are still looking for their enemy who is probably either individuals or organized groups, Palestinians know well that a state which claims democracy and considers itself above international laws and principles is the one who has been practicing terrorism for a whole year against them.
This occupation practiced by the state of Israel against Palestinians and against our city, Jericho, the origin of civilization and the melting pot of cultures has affected every aspect of life. The infra- structure was targeted and severely damaged including the networks of drinking water and sewage systems, electricity and phone cables, and roads and streets. Buildings were demolished, trees were cut; even animals were killed, and most important, Palestinians souls perished.
For a whole year, Jericho City has been living under a tight siege imposed by Israeli tanks and heavy artillery. The closure imposed on the city was not satisfactory for the Israeli government who dug a trench around the entire city. Digging the trench took a few days leaving one possible entrance to Jericho which is kept guarded by the Israeli tanks. This only entrance to the city is rarely opened making the right of movement in and outside Jericho almost impossible and subject to humiliating conditions that do not comply with human dignity.
As a result of the tight closure on the city, tourists were denied access to Jericho. The Israeli destruction mechanisms went on to destroy the agricultural sector; what was unaffected by the closure was instead damaged and extracted by the Israeli tanks. Those employed in other cities were denied access to their jobs resulting in the increase of unemployment rates; as a consequence, the city's economy collapsed.
At a time when the international community is exerting efforts to find solutions for diseases and illiteracy and to spread awareness, the Israeli government takes measures leading to the increase of illiteracy rates in addition to denying the right of individuals to improve the quality of their lives. The Israeli government does so by denying students and doctors to get to their schools and hospitals.
The governmental and non- governmental public institutions in the city of Jericho confirm that what has been mentioned cannot reflect a complete and clear picture of what takes place on ground. The measures mentioned describe some aspects of life that have been affected as a result of the terrorism practiced by the state of Israel who ignores the provisions of the Geneva Convention of 1949.

In light of all the above mentioned, we call upon all peace loving people all over the world and all institutions and organizations of human rights to stress our right to live in peace and dignity. We call upon those institutions to make further efforts by pressuring the Israeli government to stop all measures of humiliation and oppression imposed on Palestinians in all Palestinian cities, villages, and refugee camps. We call upon all of you to help us in ending the Israeli siege imposed on the citizens of Jericho and all other Palestinian communities who have been subjected to all kinds of collective punishments by the Israeli government. We stress our right to live in peace and prosperity like other nations.

declaration Issued by the City Council of Jericho

On Thursday September 13th 2001, a number of Israeli tanks along with a group of Apache helicopters performed an invasion operation on the city of Jericho. The operation started at 1:00 o'clock a.m. when the Apache helicopters broke in through the northern western and the southern part of the city. The tanks broke in from the northern side of the city passing through Ein- El Sultan street, Abou- Iyad Street, and Virgin Mary Rose Street. This group of tanks merged with another group of tanks that broke in from the southern area of the city passing through Jerusalem Street. The tanks came across and centered in front of the headquarters of the Palestinian National Security Force. The tanks started to withdraw at 5:00 o'clock a.m. ending the operation in the evening of the same day.
The tanks along with the auxiliary helicopters extensively bombarded a number of national security cites in addition to residential areas resulting in the injury of eleven people and later on the death of Mahmoud Shalawani caused by his severe injury. Three houses were totally destroyed in Al- Khidawi residential area in addition to a commercial shop on Jerusalem Street.
The infra- structure of the city was subjected to severe and unjustified damages by the tanks. These damages included a complete demolishing of a 500m2 of Abou- Iyad Street in addition to destroying drinking and irrigation water pipes which resulted in denying drinking water to 20% of the citizens of the city for three days. Also, irrigation water was denied for the same area for a period of one week which is the period needed to repair the pipes. The tanks intentionally damaged a part of Jerusalem Street as well as the electricity and telephone lines. The irrigation pipes as well as trees and palms were destroyed on the same street.
The citizens of Jericho who defended their city in every possible way they could, were surprised by the incursion since the city had not witnessed any incident leading the Israelis to execute a military operation. This incursion is a clear evidence of the concealed Israeli intentions against the Palestinian cities and the Palestinian people leading in the end to the destruction of the peace process.
The Israeli plan to put an end to the peace process becomes clearer taking into consideration the fact that Jericho city was broken in on the 8th anniversary of the Oslo Agreement according to which Jericho was the first city to be evacuated by the Israelis. The operation served as a political message rather than serving for security or military purposes.
Sharon sent the message all over the world in order to announce that his tanks and helicopters with their artillery burned and demolished the peace treaty. The timing of the operation worked for the interest of Sharon since the entire world was busy watching the disaster of New York and Washington to start a new disaster in Jericho.