ISRAELI ARMY CLOSES CHECK[OINTS, ENTRANCE TO AWARTA TOWN IN NABLUS

Nablus, 23 Dzulhijjah 1436/7 October 2015 (MINA) – The Israeli occupation army on Monday evening closed the checkpoints of Hawara and Beit Furik as well as the main entrance to Awarta town near Nablus city.

Eyewitnesses said that the soldiers at Hawara checkpoint, south of Nablus, told Palestinian passengers that they could not travel through the barrier from five o’clock to six thirty in the evening.

The soldiers justified the closure by claiming there were Jewish settlers performing rituals in a nearby area, The Palestinian Information Center (PIC) quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

The closure of this crossing caused traffic jams and disrupted the daily life of the Palestinians there.

In a similar incident, the Israeli army also closed the checkpoint of Beit Furik, east of Nablus, for long hours and prevented Palestinian passengers and vehicles from crossing it.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation forces blocked the northern entrance to Awarta town, south of the city, with mounds of dirt and concrete barriers.

Local sources said the closure of this entrance would make it difficult for Awarta residents, especially students and employees, to go to their destinations.

The Israeli army has intensified its military measures unprecedentedly at all checkpoints and roads around Nablus city following the recent killing of two settlers near Itamar settlement.(T/P008/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)