34 The Independent Commission for Human Rights - ICHR Palestinian environment, wastewater was discharged from over 20 settlements into privately owned land in Palestinian towns. Wastewater continued to flow from the Hefetz and Harmesh settlements into lands of the Qaffin and Kafr al-Labad villages in the Tulkarem governorate. The Ariel settlement continued to discharge wastewater into lands belonging to the Bruqin, Kafr ad-Dik, and Deir Ballut villages as well as into the Wadi al-Matwi valley in southern Salfit, contaminating springs along the valley and rendering water unsuitable for drinking. Contaminated water runs off along the valley up to the 1948 Palestinian territory, reaching significant amounts in the winter. Despite the fact that it is discharged by the Areil and nearby settlements, the cost of treating this wastewater is charged on Palestinian clearance revenues. This also the case for industrial wastewater flowing from the Barkan and Areil settlements and discharged into the northern area of the Bruqin village. Domestic, industrial, and agricultural wastewater produced from the Jerusalem city and surrounding Israeli settlements is discharged into agricultural lands in the Wadi an-Nar area of Bethlehem, causing serious environmental pollution and health hazards. In western Bethlehem, settlement wastewater is discharged into the lands of Husan, Nahhalin, and Wadi Fukin towns. Wastewater produced by cattle ranches is also discharged into privately owned land in Jalbun, Jenin, dumping vast areas up to the boundaries of residential quarters in the village. 1.1.7 Security and rule of law The Israeli occupying authorities continued to disrupt functions and obstruct movement of Palestinian security agencies from one area to another, particularly across Area C which falls under Israel’s full security control. These constraints have curtailed the capacity of security services to implement mandated tasks of maintaining Palestinian citizens’ rights and safety, delivering law enforcement, enforcing court judgements, resolving public disputes, and enforcing law and order. Arrests of Palestinian security personnel obstructed the operations and limited the capacity of the security establishment to impose order and protect citizens’ security. Frictions included IOF clashes with Palestinian security stations and patrols (88), detentions of security personnel (183), arrests of security officers (80), and searches of security staff homes. In addition to a minimum of 5,902 military operations carried out by the IOF, the Israeli occupying authorities served summonses to at least nine Palestinian security officers to report to the Israeli intelligence agencies.37 The Palestinian Customs Police agency faced many challenges, obstructing their functions to protect economic rights and ensure food safety of the Palestinian public. Israeli disruptions provided a cover to smuggle settlement products and other defective goods into the Palestinian territory. On dozens of occasions, the Israeli occupying authorities impeded the operations of Customs Police personnel, constraining their ability to carry out assigned duties. While delaying eight requests, the Israeli occupying authorities rejected 72 requests for the coordination of operations in Areas B and C. The IOF also arrested a Customs Police officers and raided the homes of others.38 Maintaining systematic and unlawful measures to obstruct the rule of law and inhibit human rights guarantees in the oPt, the Israeli occupying authorities continued to impede and prevent the entry of United Nations committee staff and Special Rapporteurs, including the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. Israel also denied access to the international commission of inquiry established by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip in May 2021. The IOF detained a number of staff members, and closed down the offices, of the Union of Agricul37 38 Letter from the Democracy and Human Rights Unit, Ministry of Interior (MoI), 24 February 2022. Letter from the MoI Democracy and Human Rights Unit, 21 February 2022. The Situation of Human Rights in Palestine