A/HRC/22/63 transit. In the H2 area of Hebron, there are 123 movement obstacles are in place to facilitate the movement of approximately 550 Israeli settlers in Hebron and 7,000 in the nearby settlement of Kiryat Arba, at the expense of the Palestinian population (170,000). 43 The mission notes that the presence of these settlements has a direct impact on Palestinian livelihoods, as military orders have led to the closure of 512 Palestinian businesses, while at least another 1,100 have closed owing to the restricted access of customers and suppliers.43 76. The human rights treaty bodies have expressed their deep concern at restrictions on freedom of movement, describing them as being targeted at a particular national or ethnic group and amounting to gross violations of economic, social and cultural rights.44 6. Restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly 77. The mission notes that the settlements, including the wall, are the subject of Palestinian demonstrations in places such as Bili‘in and Nabi Saleh, where the vast majority of demonstrators are reported to be acting in a non-violent manner. The Israeli authorities often respond to these demonstrations with restrictions on assembly, declaring areas closed military zones, and employing violent means to suppress demonstrations by firing tear gas, rubber bullets and, on occasion, live rounds. As in the case of closure obstacles that restrict freedom of movement, restrictions on expression and assembly have at their core the aim of ensuring that the daily life of Israeli settlers continues without interruption. 45 78. The mission heard testimony that, since 2009, residents of Nabi Saleh, a village of 600 people, have protested every Friday against the takeover by nearby settlers of the village‘s water spring. The witness described a litany of violent attacks by the Israeli army on peaceful demonstrators that have resulted in one person being killed and more than 400 people being injured, including 195 children. On certain occasions, the army has reportedly stopped demonstrations before they have begun by firing tear gas inside the village, forcing all villagers to flee.46 79. The mission was informed that Israeli politicians, academics and civil society actors voicing criticism of the settlements are discredited in public discourse. An example of this includes the targeting of veteran combatants who have served in the Israeli military in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and who voice dissent with the official line of the establishment. The mission acknowledges the valuable contribution made by members of Israeli civil society in highlighting the denial of human rights to the Palestinians by the presence of the settlements. 7. Restrictions on the right to water 80. Information and testimonies corroborate the impact of settlement expansion on the right to water of Palestinians, including, as pointed out by, inter alia, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the great discrepancy between water allocation for Palestinians and settlers, and inequitable access. 81. The capacity of the Palestinian Water Authority to develop new water resources is hampered by the water management arrangements governed by the Interim Agreement and the Joint Water Commission that it established, in which ―fundamental asymmetries – of power, of capacity, of information‖ give Israel predominance in the allocation of West 44 45 46 CERD/C/ISR/CO/13 and E/C.12/1/Add.69. A/67/375, para. 40. B‘Tselem, ―Human Rights in the Occupied Territories‖ 2011Annual Report (available from www.btselem.org/download/2011_annual_report_eng.pdf), p. 50. 17