The Israeli Occupation Forces IOF closed recently the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) strengthening by that the siege around the Palestinian cities and villages mainly Bethlehem, Abu Dis and Ramallah for their proximity to Jerusalem. For that reason, extra security measures were taken by the Israeli authorities to prevent the Palestinians from having freedom of movement. See Photo 1 & Photo 2 &
On October 15, 2003 the IOF fenced the northwestern area of Beit Jala city in order to prevent the people from reaching the Bethlehem western rural areas where the main Israeli by-pass road number 60 passes towards Jerusalem city. The roads in that area are blocked since the beginning of the second Intifada in September 2000, but this action seems to be a continuous Israeli De Facto policy toward the isolation of East Jerusalem from the other Palestinian localities. At the mean time, this action is an introduction to erect part of the Segregation Wall and bringing Bethlehem western rural areas under full Israeli control, in addition to the Israeli plans to annex the so-called Gush Etzion colonial block and Har Gilo settlement which is located on Al-Ras Mountain at the top hill of Beit Jala. See Satellite image
Many people of Beit Jala city are living on the other side of the newly installed barbed wires which is designated as area 'C' (area under full Israeli control), which means that in the future those people will have difficulties reaching their relatives who live at the other side of the fence or reaching the centers of the main cities of Beit Jala, Bethlehem and Beit Sahour where all social infrastructure services and markets are located. The people have always to find an alternative way to cross to the other side of the fence even though the Israelis are daily developing their methods of closure. See Photo 3 & Photo 4 &
As a result, the Palestinians will find themselves in a new Apartheid system. The Israeli policy of closure in the West Bank is taking place by all means to make the life of Palestinians harder and to use the security pretext to commit any kind of violation in the OPT.
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Prepared by:
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
