Expansion of a military checkpoint at the northern entrance of Salfit

May 15, 2014

Expansion of a military checkpoint

Violation: Embarking on expanding a barrier

Date: 15/05/2014

Location: The northern entrance of Salfit

Perpetrators: the Israeli occupation army

Victims: People of Salfit

Details:

The heavy machinery of the Israeli occupation commenced on ravaging land around a military checkpoint set up at the northeast entrance of Salfit in preparation for opening a 1-km long road and a big yard near the checkpoint.

The move has been taken within Israel's plan aiming at creating facts on the ground, consolidating the existence of the occupation and posing restrictions on movement for Palestinians going to and from Salfit that has a population of 11342 according to statistics conducted in 2014.

It should be marked that the checkpoint is placed at a bustling and lively area which is an entrance to the northwestern villages of Salfit. The area is also a linking point to the northern governorates of Tulkarm, Qalqiliya, and Jenin.

Pictures 1-2: The expansion taking place at the north entrance of Salfit

About the military checkpoint set up at Salfit's northern entryway:

The northern entryway of Salfit is vital for the economic status of the whole governorate. It is well known that the northern entrance of Salfit has been founded since the Ottoman era and used to be a passageway for convoys moving between the north and south of the West Bank.

During the second intifada in 2000, the Israeli occupation closed the entrance with earth mounds and iron gates which prompted people to take the alternative road: Iskaka- Yasuf- Zatara checkpoint- bypass road no. 5 in order to reach Salfit's northern entryway after passing through extra 25 kilometers.

Things remained the same until the beginning of 2013 when the Israeli occupation -after being put under great pressure – agreed to reopen the road but only after setting up a military checkpoint at the entrance to control entries and exists.

LRC considers the Israeli occupation's expansion of the checkpoint a grave breach of the Article 53 of the Geneva Fourth Convention (1948) declaring: “Any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State, or to other public authorities, or to social or cooperative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.”

And other articles calling for the freedom of movement, like:

Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person”.
Article 5: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”.
Article 9: “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile”.
Article 13: Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In particular, no one shall be subjected without his free consent to medical or scientific experimentation.”
Article 9: “Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. No one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as are established by law.