ISRAEL TO OPEN QALQILIYA CHECKPOINT CLOSED FOR 10 YEARS

Qalqiliya, 14 Sha’ban 1436/1 June 2015 (MINA) – Palestinians living in Israel will be able to access the northern West Bank city of Qalqiliya through the Eyal checkpoint ten years since it was closed by Israeli authorities, officials in Qalqiliya told Ma’an on Sunday.

Director of civil affairs at the governor’s office, Muhannad Shawar, said the decision will be put into effect by June 7, Ma’an News Agency  reports as quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).

He said it came following a request from Palestinian officials who pointed to the enormous convenience that entry through the Eyal checkpoint would bring for residents of Taybeh, al-Tirah and other towns in northern Israel with a Palestinian majority.

According to the agreement reached with the Israeli authorities, Palestinians with Israeli citizenship will be allowed to visit Qalqiliya in private vehicles between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. They are to return via checkpoint 109.

Israeli forces maintain severe restrictions on Palestinians’ freedom of movement in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories through a complex combination of fixed checkpoints, flying checkpoints, roads forbidden to Palestinians but open exclusively to Jewish settlers, and various other physical obstructions.

The West Bank is almost entirely surrounded by the Israeli separation wall, which is more than 700km long. (T/P010/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)