(Communicated by IDF Spokesperson)
Yesterday evening, May 10, 2009, two roadblocks in the Ramallah area were removed, one located near the village of Ras Karkar and the other near the village of Ein Yabrud. The removal of the Ras Karkar roadblock allows free movement of vehicles between the city of Ramallah and the villages to its west, while the removal of the Ein Yabrud roadblock allows for traffic between Ramallah and villages to its east.
The roadblocks were removed in accordance with security assessments at IDF Central Command and as part of the relief plan authorized by the Minister of Defense, Mr. Ehud Barak and the IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi.
This relief plan includes the opening of a number of central roads and the removal of checkpoints, especially in the areas of Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus, and Tulkarm. These steps improve the overall Palestinian quality of life, allowing for increased freedom of movement. As part of this plan, over 140 checkpoints have been removed throughout Judea and Samaria in the last year.
The IDF will continue to act according to decisions made by the political echelon, in accordance with security assessments. These actions are meant to further ease the routine life of the Palestinian population in Judea and Samaria, while continuously fighting terror and maintaining the safety of the citizens of the State of Israel.