Economic Cooperation Foundation

‫הקר לשיתו פעולה כלכלי‬

03-5618040 :‫ פקס‬03-5614422 :‫ טל‬67892 ‫ תל אביב‬4 ‫דרך השלום‬
4 Hashalom Rd., Tel-Aviv 67892, Israel. (T): 972-3-561-4422. (F) 972-3-561-8040
Ecf@ecf.org.il

26th May 2008

ECF – USAID/ARD Project:

“Movement, Access and Trade in the West Bank”

Parameters for Evaluating the Impact of Movement Restrictions in

the West Bank

General

Evaluating the impact of movement restrictions has become a focal point of decision
makers, in an attempt to improve Palestinians' freedom of movement within the West
Bank, thereby improving the economic and social conditions in the West Bank.
Measuring the economic and social importance of movement restrictions must be
based on empirical measures.
It must also be noted that the IDF's evaluation of the importance of specific
movement restrictions is related to the security threats posed from the area/s in
question.

N.B. 'Movement restriction' (MR) refers to any one of the several means employed by the
IDF to restrict movement, such as road blocks (RB), earth mounds (EM) and check points
(CP).

Parameters
1. Affected population: The number of people who commute through the
movement restriction and affected by the restriction
2. Impact of the MR on the Palestinian Fabric of Life: The impact the removal
of the specific movement restriction would have on the fabric of Palestinian
life (accessibility of government facilities and commercial and education
centers etc. to Palestinian population, and the impact of the movement
restriction on the PA's ability to govern the area)
3. Impact of the MR on Access to Health Centers: The impact the removal of the
specific movement restriction would have on Palestinians' ability to access
health centers is one of the main humanitarian factors in this assessment of
parameters
4. Access to the Crossings on the Green Line and to Allenby crossing: The
impact of the specific movement restriction on Palestinian traders' and
exporters' access to crossings between the Palestinian territories and Israel
which are located on the Green Line, and the impact of the MR on the access
of passengers and goods to the Allenby crossing – the only international
gateway for the Palestinians.
5. Economic Impact: A general evaluation of the impact of the MR on the
Palestinian economy
6. Viability & Connectivity of the Palestinian Authority: A general evaluation of
impact of the Movement Restriction on Palestinian Authority connectivity and
contiguity
 Evaluation of Specific Movement Restrictions on a scale of 1-5 (1 = low removal priority, 5 = high removal priority)

Movement General IDF View on Security Importance of Affected Impact of Access to Access to Estimated Palestinian Overall
Restriction Description Movement Restriction and population the MR on Health Green Economic Authority Priority
Alternative Security Thinking Pal. Fabric Centers Line /intl. Effect viability & Rate
of Life Crossings Connectivity
Container This check point This is the central and most important Check 1,200,000 Impact on Impact on The most The most
monitors most of Point in all of the West Bank since it north of the the access to the access to important
5 significant
5
CP the traffic between is actually the only road that connects the CP and Government the main access road impediment
the north and south northern West Bank to the southern West 692,000 offices and medical to Allenby to the
the West Bank. Bank. Hence, there is extremely high south of the Education services and crossing connectivity
importance in opening this funnel to a CP centers in to Ramallah of the
"normally open" status. The security needs Ramallah and East
5 Palestinian
can be dealt with when needed by soldiers in
5 and East Jerusalem Authority
pillbox similar to many other locations Jerusalem
throughout the WB
5 5
4
Khawara This CP is part of The CP is part of the IDF closure on Nablus Jenin + Tul Impact on Impact on A Removal A Removal
the closure around and monitors the main southern entrance to Karem + the access to the access to
5 will have an will have
5
CP Nablus Nablus. A limited number of cars are Nablus Nablus several important great impact
permitted to cross. residents government important effect on the on the
facilities, Hospitals trade in and connectivity
5 commercial and from Nablus of Nablus to
and Universities which use to the rest of
education in Nablus be the main the WB
centers commercial
4 center in the
5
5 PA
5
The road block The road block was built to protect the Jenin + Tul Impact on Impact on Removal will
Shavey 5 5 open road 60 5
prevents settlement from the threat of shooting from Karem + access to the access to
Shomron movements on road the near by road. Nablus Nablus and Hospitals in as the main
South – North
Road 60 near Shavey residents Jenin Nablus
road in the
Shomron 2 years ago a wall was built to deal with this
Block settlement threat and the road block is no longer
5 5 5 WB
necessary. 4
Movement General IDF View on Security Importance of Affected Impact of Access to Access to Estimated Palestinian Overall
Restriction Description Movement Restriction and population the MR on Health Green Economic Authority Priority
Alternative Security Thinking Pal. Fabric Centers Line /intl. Effect viability & Rate
of Life Crossings Connectivity
Beit Ibba This CP is part of The CP is part of the IDF closure on Nablus Jenin + Tul Impact on Impact on A Removal A Removal
the closure around and monitors the main Western entrance to Karem + the access to the access to
5 will have an will have
5
CP Nablus Nablus. A limited number of cars are Nablus Nablus several important great impact
permitted to cross. residents government important effect on the on the
facilities, Hospitals trade in and connectivity
5 commercial and from Nablus of Nablus to
and Universities which use to the rest of
education in Nablus be the main the WB
centers commercial
4 center in the
5
5 PA
5
Hamra CP This Check Point is The Check Point mostly serves the political Immediate Impact on Important
part of several that goal of the GOI to prevent the impact on
3 3 access to the
4 connection
4
impede movements "Palestinianization" of the Jordan Valley due 49,000 Allenby between the
to and from Jordan to its security importance to Israel in future Jericho and Crossing West Bank
Valley arrangements. Jordan which is the and Jordan
The security needs can be met by random valley only Valley
checking. residents gateway to
and the and from
5
729,000 in Palestinian
the northern Territories
West Bank
4
3
Movement General IDF View on Security Importance of Affected Impact of Access to Access to Estimated Palestinian Overall
Restriction Description Movement Restriction and population the MR on Health Green Economic Authority Priority
Alternative Security Thinking Pal. Fabric Centers Line /intl. Effect viability & Rate
of Life Crossings Connectivity
Einav CP This checkpoint This is one of the most significant checkpoints 465,000
monitors traffic controlling movement in the northern West Jenin + Tul
4 4 4 4 4 4
from the Tulkarm Bank. Due to the Shavey Shomron road block, Karem
and Jenin areas most of the traffic coming from Jenin governorate
southward towards southward is funneled to Einav population
Nablus Check point. This CP can be operated on a
"normally open" basis and operated only
during specific alerts.
4
Road 446 This road is the The MR introduced in order to prevent joint Most of the Impact on Impact on Impact on
main eastern usage of this road by Israelis (from Beit El population access to access to
4 PA's
4
Road entrance to settlement) and Palestinians. of the WB Ramallah important 4 capability to
Block: Ramallah and it is The road will be safer for Israelis if it will is but primarily central medical and govern
prohibited for used also by the Palestinians. residents of government education
Eastern Palestinian usage The road can be monitored by other Ramallah institutions centers in
5
entrance technological means.
4 4 Ramallah
to 4
Ramallah
Road 60: These Earth These MRs were erected to deal with the Immediate Impact on \ Impact on Effect on
Mounds prevent security threat of shootings at Israeli cars impact on access to access to access to
3 3 3.5
from the residents traveling on road 60 (the settlements of Beit 57,000 Hebron Hebron Meitar
Dahariya of Dahariya and Hagay, Otniel, Shima'a and Tene – total of residents of governorate Medical and Crossing
Samua access to 2000 residents). Samua and facilities education
and Raod 60 and force Dahariya centers
Samoua them to use minor Due to other entries to Road 60, Palestinian and the near 4
and longer roads cars can use this road anyway (those who by villages – 4
Road
enter from Al Fawar junction), rendering the + 450,000 in 4
road blocks useless. Hebron
Blocks district
In addition, it is recommended that a manned
Pillbox be erected there, to allow IDF quick
4
response to any specific security needs
Movement General IDF View on Security Importance of Affected Impact of Access to Access to Estimated Palestinian Overall
Restriction Description Movement Restriction and population the MR on Health Green Line Economic Authority Priority
Alternative Security Thinking Pal. Fabric Centers /intl. Effect viability & Rate
of Life Crossings Connectivity
Qalqilia This check point Qalqilia is governed by the Hamas and several 103,000 Impact on There are no
monitors those who of the recent terror attempts came from this residents of access to important
3 3 5 3.5
DCO CP enter or exit city including the case of the truck full of Qalqilia and governorate medical and
Qalqilia explosives that managed to enter Israel. The the offices education
CP was removed for 2.5 years between 2005- surrounding (93,000 centers in
2007 and 6 months ago was put up again villages residents in Qalqilya
the
3 governorate)
3
3
Jericho This CP controls This CP is part of the IDF attempt to minimize Immediate Impact on Removal Removal
the access to and the number of vehicles on Road 1 and part of impact on the Jericho would allow would allow
3 5 3.5
DCO CP from Jericho via the control over the city of Jericho Jericho population quick access quick access
Road 1 population of Jericho of Jericho
and on the
3 residents to manufacturers
connectivity the medical to the green
between the centers in line crossings
city and the Jerusalem
rest of WB and
5
Ramallah
3
3
Beit Furik This check point is Important in breaking terror links between 167,000 Impact on Impact on
part of the closure Nablus and the villages around it. The CP is residents of the access to access to the
2 2 2 3
CP around Nablus and part of the closure around Nablus and the IDF Nablus and the Hospitals in
it monitors the claim is that removal of the closure will ease the two Government Nablus
movement between the access of terrorists out from Nablus and villages offices and
Nablus and two from the area of Beit Furik towards the Jordan Universities
4
towns – Beit Furik valley and Jerusalem
3 in Nablus
and Beit Dagan
4
Movement General IDF View on Security Importance of Affected Impact of Access to Access to Estimated Palestinian Overall
Restriction Description Movement Restriction and population the MR on Health Green Economic Authority Priority
Alternative Security Thinking Pal. Fabric Centers Line /intl. Effect viability & Rate
of Life Crossings Connectivity

Beit This CP prevents The rationale of this CP according to the IDF All of the
Palestinian access is to deal with threats of arms smuggling from West Bank
3 1 1 1 1 2
Ha'arava to the Dead Sea Jordan across the Dead Sea. population
Junction shores. In our opinion the reason is the Israeli but mainly
After some legal Kibbutzim in the region don't want Jericho, and
CP actions the CP is Palestinians mixed in the Israeli visitors in the Ramallah
now operated only commercial beaches. area
on weekends
4