Israel laying new roads in occupied West Bank

Israeli occupation authorities have started laying new roads across the occupied West Bank in an attempt to provide separate routes for settlers, Qudsnet reported yesterday.

Palestinian sources told Qudsnet that a deal was reached between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Israeli occupation to expand the southern entrance of the Palestinian city of Ramallah, which is known as Qalandia checkpoint.

It is hoped the expansion will help alleviate congestion at the checkpoint caused by the Israeli restrictions. The expansion is to be carried out within 80 days, PA officials said.

Qudsnet said that the main road that the Israeli authorities are working at is the one lying between the neigbourhood of Jabaa, north of Jerusalem, and the Qalandia checkpoint. It will separate the Palestinian neighbourhood of Al-Ram, which will have a tunnel entrance instead.

The project, Qudsnet said, is aimed at connecting the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank with the Israeli cities and will facilitate the movement of Israeli settlers who will no longer have to use the same roads as Palestinians.