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Mideast: Israeli checkpoints constrain Palestinians, says UN
[ADN Kronos] Israel continues to constrain the freedom of movement for Palestinians living in the West Bank, according to a new report released by the United Nations' humanitarian arm. The UN's office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs said while Israel has introduced measures to ease traffic flow into the Palestinian cities of Nablus, Hebron, Tulkarem and Ramallah, other actions have further restricted Palestinian access.Physical obstacles, including checkpoints, roadblocks and the separation barrier, as well as administrative and legal restrictions, such as prohibited roads, affect Palestinians' vehicular and pedestrian access throughout the West Bank, the UN agency said. "The Israeli authorities have justified this system as a temporary measure to contain violent confrontations with Palestinians and to protect Israeli citizens, both in Israel and in the West Bank settlements, from Palestinians," the report said. During its reporting period -- September 2008 to March 2009 -- OCHA field teams said they documented 634 physical obstacles. The expansion of checkpoints, which often entails the seizure of Palestinian land in the vicinity of an existing checkpoint, as well as the replacing of rudimentary obstacles with more permanent ones, are among the measures which are entrenching restrictions on Palestinians, the report said. "Without improvement, the possibilities available for the Palestinian population to address its own needs will necessarily remain limited," it added. Israeli settlements erected in the West Bank since 1967, according to the report, are perhaps the most important factor driving the restrictions. The areas within the boundaries of the nearly 150 settlements, comprising three percent of the West Bank, are inaccessible to Palestinians and further fragment the territory. Jewish settlements and outposts, considered illegal under international law, are a major source of friction between Israelis and Palestinians. Over 450,000 Israeli settlers live in the Palestinian territories including East Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as their capital in a future state. The OCHA report concluded that the movement and access restrictions "have resulted in a contraction of the overall space available for Palestinian development and a decrease in the degree of control that Palestinians have over that space". Posted by: Fred 2009-05-29 |
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