Israel removed Monday afternoon a key checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus as part of the efforts to ease the movement of Palestinians, said Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The road connecting Nablus with dozens of smaller towns and villages is now open, an IDF spokeswoman told Xinhua, adding that the Defense Ministry made the decision after necessary security assessment and as another step to facilitate the lives of Palestinians in the West Bank.
The move is considered to be the most significant gesture to date Israel has made to the Palestinians, local daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported on its website, adding that the removal promotes traffic convenience for tens of thousands of Palestinians.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told visiting Quartet Middle East envoy Tony Blair earlier Monday that Israel would dismantle the checkpoint, which Palestinian residents described as a major bottleneck for travelers and traders.
However, his spokeswoman did not rule out the possibility of re-closing the road, saying "if it will be used for terror activities," Israel will consider re-using the checkpoint, which was built more than a year ago when the city was regarded as a stronghold of Palestinian militants.
Israel dismantled earlier this month some 50 roadblocks in the West Bank, out of a network of hundreds of checkpoints and roadblocks, which Palestinians said amounts to collective punishment.
Source:Xinhua
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