After nearly a decade of suffering due to the closure of road number 443 linking between the towns of Duran and Beit Awa in the south western parts of Hebron district, the road was re-opened a decision from the Israeli supreme court. The road passes the colony of Negohot and it was closed all that period under the pretext of protecting the safety of the Jewish colonists.
In October, 2009, the court ruled to get the street re-opened, but, they gave the Israeli army what they called ‘ arrangement to open the road,’ which lasted for about three months until it was re-opened at the beginning of this month.
But, the colonists of Negohot did not like that decision and began to attack Palestinian cars on the street, either by throwing stones, or demonstrating in the main road and threatening drivers. Such a big demonstration was held by colonists at the main Beit Awa junction on January 15, 2010 with the presence of the Israeli army who made no interference.
The colonists exacerbated the attacks on the evening of Thursday, 21/1/2010, when dozens of them cut off the street and prevented Palestinian vehicles from passing, some of whom were armed settlers who fabricated a problem with one of the drivers to prevent traffic. The colonists continued closing the street for nearly half an hour until soldiers and police arrived to the scene, and began removal of settlers from the street, prompting harsh words and all kinds of abuses to passengers and drivers. passing through.
There is no doubt that the colonists’ attacks were a main source of fear to drivers and passenger alike who just resumed using this particular road because of the proximity of Negohot colony to the street and its location on a high point overlooking the street, making it easier for settlers to attack passing cars.
After the citizens had rejoiced over the re-opening of this vital road because of its short distance and easy accessibility, they express fear of settlers to re-close it and circumvent the decisions of their courts, which ordered the re-opening of the street.
Reference is made here that this street is the road between the front line villages west of the town of Dura (Beit Awa – Al Burj) passing through the villages of Fiqiqays and Khirbet Salama. Once it was closed the citizens introduced the new road of Marah Al Baqar all the way to the town of Dura after the closure of the street.
