A/HRC/28/44 Ayin settlement, in the Bethlehem Governorate.57 On 22 October, a field of olives was set alight, allegedly by Israeli settlers from the Yitzhar settlement in the Nablus Governorate.58 37. Statistics indicate that most attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian individuals and on Palestinian-owned trees reportedly go unpunished. , Of the 246 investigations opened between 2005 and 2014 monitored by Yesh Din, only four ended with an indictment and 223 were closed owing to possible investigative failures, such as a failure to identify suspects or to collect evidence.59 The establishment of an anti-nationalistic crimes unit within the “Judea and Samaria” (West Bank) police seems to be ineffective. Out of the 35 cases of damage by settlers to Palestinian trees documented by Yesh Din in 2013, 23 cases were closed, apparently because of investigation failures, with no indictments issued. 60 38. Physical attacks against Palestinian farmers were also recorded during the 2014 olive harvest. On 11 October, in the village of Kafr al-Labad, Tulkarem Governorate, Israeli settlers reportedly injured a 45-year-old Palestinian man and his 9-year-old son who were picking olives with their family on land that does not require prior coordination for access to it. Three Israeli settlers holding knives reportedly attacked them. The settlers allegedly stole the harvest equipment and personal belongings, and seized five sacks of olives, amounting to approximately 250 kg.61 In another incident on the same day, a 27year-old Palestinian woman was injured by Israeli settlers when picking olives on a grove located near the settlement of Kfar Tappuah, Salfit Governorate. 62 V. Failure to maintain public order, settler violence and lack of accountability A. Overview 39. The persistent and troubling phenomenon of settler violence is directly related to the continued existence, proliferation and expansion of illegal settlements inserted in and between Palestinian communities throughout the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as described above and in previous reports of the Secretary-General (see A/69/348, paras. 3644). 40. Settler violence is one of the clearest and most direct negative consequences of the settlements. It affects the enjoyment by Palestinians of their basic rights, including their rights to freedom of movement, an adequate standard of living, work, and education, as they face difficulty in having access to schools or their land for fear of attack by settlers (A/68/513, paras. 12-14).63 Repeated calls by the international community for the Israeli authorities to address the problem have generally not succeeded in prompting positive action to improve the situation (CCPR/C/ISR/CO/4, para.16 and A/69/348, paras. 36-44).64 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 12 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Protection of Civilians (Weekly), 14 –20 October 2014, p. 2. Information provided by Premiere Urgence – Aide Medicale Internationale. See Yesh Din, “96.6 Percent of Investigations into Attacks on Palestinian Trees are Closed due to Police Failings. Indictments in Only Four Cases”, 13 October 2014, and “Law Enforcement on Israeli Civilians in the West Bank”, Yesh Din Monitoring 2005-2013, 24 July 2013. Yesh Din, “96.6 Percent of Investigations into Attacks” (see footnote 59). Information provided by Premiere Urgence – Aide Medicale Internationale. See Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Protection of Civilians, 30 September – 13 October, and “Settlers beat woman picking olives with her children near Salfit”, Ma’an News Agency, 12 October 2014. OHCHR and the Protection Cluster, “Update on settler violence” (see footnote 35), pp. 3-4. Ibid., pp. 5-6.