A/HRC/40/42 humanitarian law. 78 Limitations on freedom of movement and constraints on access to natural resources and agricultural land have been identified as coercive factors that ultimately may force people to leave. 79 In the cases presented in the present report, the Israeli security forces failed to uphold their obligation to protect the Palestinian population and property, as well as to keep public order and safety. 80 Such failure allows the Israeli State and private settlers to take over more Palestinian land in the West Bank, in violation of the law of occupation. C. Access to health and education 42. Israeli settlements and settler violence continued to violate a range of Palestinians’ human rights, including economic, social and cultural rights such as the rights to health and education.81 In Hebron H2 and the nearby access-restricted areas, some 7,000 Palestinians rely on medical services available in H1 and on Palestinian Red Crescent Society ambulances for urgent cases. The Secretary-General has previously reported incidents of ambulances not being allowed into the area, forcing Palestinian patients to cross checkpoints on foot, which can cause life-threatening delays.82 43. During the reporting period, there were at least three cases of settler attacks against Palestinian ambulances in H2 in the presence of Israeli security forces. For instance, on 11 August 2018, settlers in H2 blocked a Palestinian Red Crescent Society ambulance transporting an elderly Palestinian woman injured by settlers. Despite the arrival of Israeli security forces at the scene, the settlers were not dispersed. Instead, after an hour, the Israeli security forces forced the ambulance crew to turn back and use another road, which the settlers then tried to block, causing further delay. Eventually the ambulance managed to pass. The inability of the Israeli security forces to guarantee the ambulance access to the H2 area, which results in the lack of access to health-care facilities and services for the persons living in this area, constitutes a violation of the right to health. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society submitted some 100 complaints to the Israeli authorities during 2018 related to access issues, including settler attacks, but as at the end of the reporting period no action had been taken. 44. Violence and harassment by settlers targeting schools often results in injuring children and teachers and disrupting classes. This affects access to education, quality of education, student well-being, and performance and completion rates. 83 Moreover, it results in increased school dropout rates and the decision of families to keep their children at home.84 Fear of settler-related violence has been reported as one of the reasons why some families prevent girls from going to school, particularly in Area C. 85 45. The secondary boys’ school in Urif has over the past two years been subjected to increasing settler attacks due to its proximity to Yitzhar settlement, from where many settler attacks originate. The school reported three settler attacks on the school on 14, 17 and 18 October 2018 respectively, causing the school to suspend teaching. Settlers hit teachers with stones while they were evacuating the children. The school staff reported visible psychological effects on the children. During the school year 2017/18, 24 out of 230 students dropped out of school, the majority of them because of the parents’ fear for the 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 Hague Regulations, arts. 46 and 56; Fourth Geneva Convention, art. 53; and Customary International Humanitarian Law, rule 51. For more information on the coercive environment, see A/71/355, paras. 60–64; A/72/564, paras. 36– 57; A/73/410, paras. 26–58; A/HRC/34/39, paras. 44 and 54–55; and A/HRC/37/43, paras. 26–64. Hague Regulations, art. 43; and Fourth Geneva Convention, art. 27 (1) For more information on settlements’ impact on economic, social and cultural rights, see A/68/513, paras. 36–41; A/HRC/25/38, paras. 21–36; and A/HRC/28/44, paras. 16–38. A/71/355, para. 57. A/HRC/25/38, paras. 34–36. A/71/355, para. 51. OHCHR, “Update on settler violence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem”, October 2013, p. 4. 11