The Israeli occupation forces seal off a metal gate on the western entrance of Kafr Ad-Dik / Nablus governorate

• Violation: closing the western entrance of Kafr Ad-Dik town.
• Location: Kafr Ad-Dik town west Salfit governorate.
• Date: September 17 -2018.
• Perpetrator: The Israeli occupation army.
• Affected citizens : People of Kafr Ad-Dik and surrounding communities.
• Description: Israeli troops closed the western entrance of Kafr Ad-Dik town by closing the metal gate placed on the vital road.

Human rights activist  Ayman Ad-Dik told LRC observer:

“The western entrance is vital to the western suburbs of Salfit governorate and it connects (Deir Ballut, Azzawiya, Beuqin and Salfit city), Closures create movement restrictions and cost people more money and effort to move around.”

Ad-Dik asserted: “Patients take this road to hospitals and medical centers in Salfit city, the closure forced patients to take a 5 kilometers road to their destination which is very tiring to them”

Noteworthy the closed entrance is considered one of the roads closed in the aftermath of AL-Aqsa uprising of 2000. Closures lasted until end of 2011.

Photo 1-2: The western entrance after the closure

Kafr ad Dik[1]

Kafr ad Dik is located 15 km to the west of Salfit. It is surrounded by Bidya (north), Rafat and Deir Ballut (west), Bruqin and Sarta (east), and Bani Zaid villages (south).

Kafr ad Dik has a population of 4553 people, according to a 2007 census.

Its total area is 15529 dunums; however, it has been suffocated by bypasses and 3 Israeli colonies that lay over its lands.

This has further limited its expansion knowing that it had already had a 791-dunum organizational plan (built-up area); it also isolated the village from its surroundings.

The Israeli occupation confiscated 2477 dunums of Kafr ad Dik lands for the benefit of:

1. Colonies devoured 1225 dunums, and they are:

*Source: Field Research- Monitoring Israeli Violations Team- Land Research Centre (LRC).

2. Bypasses stole 362 dunums
3. The Apartheid Wall seized 890 dunums and isolated 8824 dunums and is expected to be 8905 long in Kafr ad Dik lands.

Lands of Kfar ad-Dik are categorized according to Oslo Accords into lands under Area B (15% of the lands) and lands under Area C (85% of the lands).

Land Research Center sees that the policy of roads closures as a collective punishment to limit down Palestinians’ movement.

International conventions and laws regarding freedom of movement which Israel unabatedly violates:

Article 12 of The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights:
1- Everyone lawfully within the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence.

• Everyone shall be free to leave any country, including his own

Article 5, International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination:

(d) Other civil rights, in particular:

(i) The right to freedom of movement and residence within the border of the State;

(ii) The right to leave any country, including one’s own, and to return to one’s country

Article 12 of the International Convent on Civil and Political Rights:

1. Everyone lawfully within the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence.

[1] GIS-LRC