A/HRC/13/54 48. A related issue is that of settlements that are unauthorized under Israeli law, commonly known as “outposts”. Unlike settlements that are established and maintained as a matter of policy by the Government of Israel, outposts are established by groups of settlers and are illegal under Israeli law. Irrespective of authorization under Israeli law, all settlements in the OPT, including in East Jerusalem, are illegal under international law. 49. Incidents of settler violence continued throughout the West Bank with impunity. During the reporting period there were an average of 29 settler-related incidents of violence per month, and an average of 13 Palestinians a month injured in such incidents.63 50. The olive harvest has for many years been the flashpoint for tension between settlers and Palestinian farmers living in communities near settlements. For example, the village of Burin is frequently subjected to settler violence and related destruction of property. Information provided to OHCHR-OPT indicates that over 1,500 olive trees had been burnt or destroyed by settlers from January through October 2009. 51. OHCHR-OPT is also aware of cases where ISF, present on the scene of settler violence, did nothing to prevent attacks. A woman and her family living in the Tel Rumeida area of the old city of Hebron reported that she and her family are subject to severe movement restrictions by ISF and harassment and violence by settlers. On 11 April 2009 this woman, who is 70 years old and requires regular medical attention, was returning from the hospital and had received special permission from ISF to approach her home using the paved front way in the ambulance, as opposed to the usual restriction against using the front entrance and the prohibition from driving vehicles to their homes. The ambulance was stopped by ISF troops near her home. As ISF examined their identity documents, a group of settlers gathered around the ambulance. The crowd insulted the passengers and hurled large stones through the ambulance’s back window, the first of which sent shattering glass throughout the ambulance. Throughout this time, the troops present did nothing to prevent the attacks or disperse the settlers, and eventually turned the ambulance back, where it was again attacked by settlers. 52. In another incident, on 13 July 2009, a 16-year-old boy was stopped by ISF approximately 150 metres from his home. The troops took him to a military camp, where he was handcuffed, blindfolded and placed in a chair in a concrete cubicle. The troops allowed a group of settlers to beat him until he was unconscious. It was only after members of his family, accompanied by a field worker from B’Tselem with a video camera, arrived at the scene that the beating ended. The boy was released and taken to the hospital. His family presented a complaint regarding this incident to the Israeli police on 8 June 2009. They have received no information regarding an investigation. 53. There are few cases where settlers have been prosecuted by Israeli authorities for crimes against Palestinians. In September 2009 the trial of a settler who refused to give the police the names of persons suspected of assaulting and beating Palestinian shepherds in March 2008 commenced.64 However, the prevailing situation is one of impunity. With the 63 64 14 2008, there were approximately 290,000 in the West Bank and 195,000 in East Jerusalem. See OCHA, “West Bank movement and access update”, May 2009, p. 13. In July 2009, an Israeli newspaper cited a military report stating that the settler population had increased to 304,000 in the West Bank. See “More than 300,000 settlers live in the West Bank”, Haaretz.com, 27 July 2009. OCHA, The Humanitarian Monitor, October 2009, p. 4. Chaim Levinson, “Settler rabbi faces trial for not naming names to police”, Haaretz.com, 16 September 2009. As of the finalization of this report, no information is available regarding the outcome of this trial. GE.10-12152