IDF REPLACES BEIT IBA CHECKPOINT, PALESTINIANS

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000479

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND NEA/IPA; PRM FOR PRM/ANE; NSC FOR
SHAPIRO/PASCUAL;
JOINT STAFF FOR LTGEN SELVA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2019
TAGS: ECON EAID PHUM KWBG ETRD IS PTER
SUBJECT: IDF REPLACES BEIT IBA CHECKPOINT, PALESTINIANS
NOTE A SMALL BUT WELCOME CHANGE

REF: 08 JERUSALEM 2200

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles for reasons 1.4 b, d.


1. (SBU) Summary: On March 15, the IDF dismantled the Beit
Iba checkpoint west of Nablus and replaced it with a new
checkpoint about two kilometers away (reftel). ConGen
contacts reported that permits are not currently required at
the new checkpoint, resulting in some easing of north-south
travel around Nablus. Local Palestinians characterized the
removal as a small but welcome change in the broader context
of the IDF's restriction regime in the West Bank. No changes
were reported on the network of other checkpoints surrounding
Nablus. End Summary.


2. (SBU) The IDF removed the Beit Iba checkpoint west of
Nablus on March 15, according to ConGen contacts. This
checkpoint controlled commercial and residential access on
the northwest side of the city. At the same time, the IDF
opened a new checkpoint approximately two kilometers west on
Route 57 (reftel). The new checkpoint controls access in and
out of Nablus and traffic on the main north-south highway,
Route 60. EconOffs visited the new checkpoint on March 12
and confirmed that a new guard tower, overhead lighting, and
more concrete road barriers had been added to the site.

A Good Thing, if Conditions Remain
--------------


3. (SBU) OCHA and Palestinian Civil Affairs contacts report
that, during the first 24 hours of operation at the new
checkpoint, permits were not required (as they were at Beit
Iba) and only "random" inspections occurred. If the new
checkpoint remains "normally open" and no new restrictions
are added in the area, access in and out of Nablus will be
eased somewhat. Other checkpoints surrounding Nablus remain
in place, including the Huwarra checkpoint south of the city
that controls movement between Nablus and Ramallah and other
points to the south. (Note: Movement between Nablus and the
Jordan Valley is also unaffected by this change and remains
controlled by the Hamra, Ma'ale Efrayim, and Tayasir
checkpoints. The two Israeli policemen killed on March 15
near the settlement of Masu'a on Route 90 in the Jordan
Valley were on the other side of these checkpoints from
Nablus. End Note.)

Potential Humanitarian Pitfalls
--------------


4. (SBU) The new checkpoint lies on a narrow, poorly
maintained stretch of road connecting north-south routes
around Nablus and lacks a humanitarian lane for emergency
vehicles. OCHA contacts report that the new checkpoint will
operate between the hours of 05:00 and 24:00 local and will
be completely closed for five hours each night. The
nighttime closure may prevent emergency medical cases from
Tulkarem and Qalqiliya from reaching Nablus hospitals.

Palestinian Reactions
--------------


5. (C) Head of PA Civil Administration Hussein al-Sheikh told
PolSpec that the removal of Beit Iba is a "good step," but
noted no net reduction in the restriction regime, as a new
checkpoint had been installed in its place. Nablus Governor
Jamal al-Muhaysin told PolOff on March 16 that the new
checkpoint is open and vehicles are passing without delay,
but that the removal of Beit Iba is not a long-term solution.
"There are 600 checkpoints in the West Bank ) it's not
about one checkpoint, it's about the occupation," he said.
The Deputy Chairman of the Nablus Chamber of Commerce
characterized the change as "expanding the prison two
kilometers."

Comment
--------------


6. (C) The important new development here is the relaxation
of the permit requirement. If this remains in place, there
will be some easing of movement in and out of Nablus. The
relocation of the checkpoint from Beit Iba to the new
location two kilometers away, in and of itself, will have no
impact on the situation. End Comment.
WALLES