Israeli occupation has impoverished Palestinian people: UN study

Geneva, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Half a century of occupation and appropriation of land and resources by Israel has impoverished the Palestinian people, and denied them the right to development, a new UN study said Tuesday.

The study by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) suggests that both Israel and the international community have obligations under international and human rights law to avoid action that impedes development.

It says they need to take steps to foster development in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

"The international community should shoulder its responsibility to promote development in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and ensure that the occupation and its enduring harm to the welfare of the Palestinian people is ended," said Mahmoud Elkhafif, coordinator of the Assistance to the Palestinian People Unit of UNCTAD.

The UNCTAD study is titled, "The Economic Costs of the Israeli Occupation for the Palestinian People and Their Human Right to Development: Legal Dimensions."

It highlights the economic costs imposed by occupation in relation to Palestinian agriculture, water resources, fisheries, mining, tourism, communications, manufacturing and human capital.

Under occupation, the Palestinian people and their government are not allowed to carry out essential tasks required for economic and social development to take place, says the report.

This prevents them from enjoying the undisputable human right to development, which maintains that all human persons and peoples are entitled to freely participate in, contribute to, and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development.

Israeli actions that impose costs for the Palestinian people also include the construction of illegal settlements and a separation barrier in the West Bank.

The barrier is being built on a route that protects settlements and takes away significant tracts of Palestinian land, causing major disruptions to Palestinian social life and economic activity, notes the study.

The study emphasizes that under international law, the occupying authority has obligations to both the people under occupation and the international community.

It follows that the international community bears obligations to support the economic development of the Palestinian people and ensure that Israel complies with international law. Enditem