Israel increased the number of roadblocks in the West Bank, a UN OCHA report

UN report: “Israel increased the number of roadblocks in the West Bank”

Friday September 21, 2007 22:25 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies saed at imemc dot org

The United Nations issued a report revealing that the Israeli occupation government has increased the number of roadblocks in the occupied West Bank despite promises to reduce the number of roadblocks.

The UN stated in its report that despite promises made by the Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, to the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, to remove 24 roadblocks and consider easing restrictions imposed on the movement of the Palestinians in the West Bank, the number of roadblocks has increased.

Barak’s promise followed a similar promise by Israel’s Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, during talks with the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas.

The UN report revealed that the number of roadblocks reached 572, which is a 52% increase compared to 376 roadblocks in August 2005, Israeli online daily, Haaretz, reported.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that Israel setup 40 new roadblocks in the past two months.

Also, the report added that the Israeli army did not remove a fence installed along road number 317 in the Southern Mount area in Hebron, Haaretz added.

OCHA said that additional 48 roadblocks are currently preventing access to various roads in that area.

The report also revealed that there are 476 roadblocks in the occupied West Bank, consisting of concrete blocks, earthen embankments and other barricades blocking roads leading to villages and towns, Haaretz added.

Haaretz also stated that since April this year, the Israeli army has refused to provide data regarding the number of roadblocks in the West Bank, and that the army installed additional roadblocks to “protect the settlers”, and not to “prevent attacks against Israel”.

Haaretz added that the UN figures on roadblocks did not include roadblocks installed along the Green Line separating Israel from the Palestinian territories.

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