CPTnet
7 July 2008
AT-TUWANI: Israeli military further blocks main access road in South Hebron Hills


On 5 July, 2008, at 11:30 a.m., the Israeli military added three barriers to ones it had erected in previous weeks, further blocking vehicular access on the road between South Hebron village of At-Tuwani and Yatta.

Initially, a bulldozer massed a four-foot mound on the At-Tuwani village side of the road, using cement blocks, boulders and dirt. The Israeli army also ripped cement from the road itself, damaging it significantly. The army then removed the roadblock, leaving the road damaged, and erected another roadblock on the opposite side of Route 317. The army told international observers present that they had made a mistake.

The army bulldozer built three additional earth mounds, closing paths used by tractors and trucks to travel to and from Yatta. Six barriers now stand along the road between At-Tuwani and Yatta.

Besides being the main economic hub for the region, Yatta is also the principal provider of critical services such as hospitals, secondary schools, and public administration offices.

Several communities in the South Hebron Hills continue to be cut off from basic supplies; the road is the main artery for the supply of water to the area, which is currently experiencing a severe drought. According to Palestinian residents, roadblocks have doubled the commercial price of water. A U.N. worker reported that barriers on this road will increase by thirty-percent the cost of transporting essential water aid to the area.

The new roadblocks are the latest in a series put up by the Israeli army in the area. The most recent, erected on 27 June, still remains. The local population removed previous roadblocks through nonviolent direct actions.

For photos of the roadblocks go to
http://cpt.org/gallery/5th-June%2C-2008-Israeli-army-erecting-further-roadblocks