Beit Iba checkpoint re-expanded and fortified despite Israeli words of “peace” and closure lifting

As part of tightening the grip over the West Bank the Israeli occupation army started few days ago to expand and fortify the Beit Iba military checkpoint at the north western entrance to Nablus city in the north of the West Bank.  The ongoing expansion works are taking place over an area of 45 dunums confiscated from its owners for the purpose of establishing checking grounds for coming and leaving vehicles in a step aiming at changing the current checkpoint to make it look like an international crossing terminal. This policy has been applied over most military checkpoints in the West Bank to increase  the fragmentation of the West Bank and consolidate the Israeli military grip over its major cities, particularly, Nablus. See Map 1

Introduction to Beit Iba checkpoint

The Beit Iba checkpoint is located on the main road linking between the city of Nablus and the northern and western governorates of Jenin, Tulkarem and Qalqiliya. It stood about 4 km to the north west of the city on the land of Beit Iba and Deir Sharaf villages, close to the junction leading to Jenin governorate in the north of the West Bank. Immediately after the outbreak of the Intifada in the year 2000  the Israeli army  closed all the roads to Nablus, including this road with earth mounds, rocks  and cement blocks. In August, 2003, the army established a permanent checkpoints at this location.  In 2005,  the army carried out the first enlargement phase of this checkpoint  equipping it  with watch towers, magnetic gates, rolling gates, surveillance cameras and car parks.

(Photo 1: traffic jam at Beit Iba checkpoint)

Closure of Nablus city and governorate

It is worth mentioning that the occupation authorities has set up about 600 checkpoints of different types in various parts of the West Bank since the beginning of the current uprising in the year 2000. This policy of closure has resulted in disastrous human, economic, health, and educational impacts on Palestinian citizens of the occupied West Bank. The city of Nablus, in particular, has taken the brunt of this repressive Israeli policy, that is, it has lost its historic status as the economic capital of the West Bank due to the following checkpoints and successive Israeli military incursions:

Table 1: Permanent Israeli military checkpoints ( international- like  crossing terminals – Nablus governorate

Source: Field Work and GIS unit at LRC

Map 2

Table  2: Roads blocked with earth mounds and iron gates in Nablus governorate

Source: Field Work and GIS unit at LRC

Background to Nablus city

Nablus city with its 160 000 inhabitants is the largest city in the West Bank. It is situated between and on the slopes of two mountains: Ibal (940 m.) above sea level, and Jerzim (881 m.). It is located 69 km. north of Jerusalem and 42 km. east of the Mediterranean Sea. It is rich in archaeological and historical sites: Tell Balata, Jacob's well, a Roman theater, and the Jewish Samaritan Community. Jacob's well is marked by a church built over the site in the fifth century and maintained ever since. See Map 3

The city of Nablus has historically boasted itself as the commercial and business center of Palestine. It dates back some 4,500 years. However, Nablus' economy, cultural heritage, and population have come under attack during the past six and half years of Israeli military attacks. It has become synonymous with nightly invasions, targeted assassinations, home demolitions, roadblocks, curfews, severe damage to the city's basic infrastructure, demolition of multiple factories and other acts of occupation violence. Its Old City walls have acquired a new layer of history in the political graffiti and martyr posters honoring the scores of mostly young men who were killed in Israeli attacks.

(Photo 2: Nablus old city- a wall full of graffiti and martyrs posters

(Photo 3: Nablus old city- a prosperous market before the Intifada

(Photo 4: Nablus old city-  a flat  damaged by Israeli bombardment)

Impacts of Beit Iba checkpoint on  Palestinian general life

1.     The detention and delay of people for long hours of whom are elderly, children, women, sick and students. According to the statistics of the Palestinian ministry of health, quite many people died at this checkpoint, either inside ambulances or in private cars whilst en route to hospitals in the city . 

2.     The detention of commercial, private and international humanitarian vehicles and forcing them to get passing permits from the Israeli military before coming to the checkpoint.

3.     Very often, Israeli soldiers manning the checkpoint resort to inhumane practices such as slowing the checking procedures or indefinitely stopping the whole process for whatever reason.

4.     The Israeli occupation army decided last September to close the checkpoint  every day at 7:30 PM under baseless security claims, increasing the suffering of local people and putting more obstacles on the way of Palestinian trade and merchandise in and out of the city. In other words, the city has become a big prison that is closed every evening.

(Photo 5 & Photo 6: current expansion works at Beit Iba checkpoints)

Colonists and colonies in Nablus governorate

There are 14 colonies in Nablus governorate whose total population in the year 2005 mounted to 11232 occupying a total area of 31514.14 dunums ( 31.5 km2) including the built up area and municipal boundaries. This figures represents 3.6% of the total land area  of Nablus governorate. See Map 4

Table 3 : Israeli colonies in Nablus governorate

Source: Field Work and GIS unit at LRC 
& Foundation For Middle East Peace

Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC