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Israel opens road to Ramallah, shuts down Nablus
RAMALLAH: Israeli forces on Saturday opened a road near the West Bank city of Ramallah after nine years of closure, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. Ramallah Gov. Laila Ghannam said that the Israeli army opened road 466 near Ein Seinya, to the north of Ramallah. The Israeli army closed the road in 2002 under the pretext that Palestinian fighters used it to launch attacks against Jewish occupiers.Ghannam said that the 10-kilometer road, which begins from the entrance of Beit El settlement to the northern entrance of Ein Seinya, connects Ramallah with cities in the West Bank. She added that the Palestinians had used alternative roads during the last nine years to travel between the two destinations. The governor said that the Palestinian Ministry of Public Works had finished reconstructing the road last week. A spokesman for the Israeli army said that the decision to open the road to Palestinian traffic was approved by the Israeli forces OC Central Command and the Judea and Samaria (West Bank) Division. The spokesman added that the opening of the road is a good will gesture to Palestinians in the West Bank. Israel routinely extends goodwill gestures to bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and moderates in the Palestinian Authority Meanwhile, Israeli forces placed military checkpoints at all entrances of Nablus. Palestinian witnesses said that the Israeli soldiers manning the checkpoints restricted the entry of Palestinians into the city. Nablus Gov. Jibrin Al-Bakri said that the Israeli measures will badly affect Nablus economy. The city is the economic capital of Palestinian territories. Al-Bakri said the restrictions will bar the Palestinian residents from entering the city to buy
Posted by: Steve White 2011-08-28 |
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