By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Israel has lifted another 10 roadblocks, all located near the West Bank city of Hebron, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Sunday.
The removal of the barriers was part of a series of measures that Israel was implementing to facilitate the movement and improve the life of local Palestinians, said the IDF.
According to recent IDF announcements, Israel has dismantled tens of traffic barriers and several major checkpoints since late March when Defense Minister Ehud Barak promised visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to ease travel restrictions imposed on the Palestinians.
However, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Jerusalem said in a report released two weeks ago that the number of traffic obstacles in the West Bank increased by 41, or 7 percent, from 566 on Sept. 4 to 607 by April 29, noting that a total of 103 barriers were dismantled during the period, with 144 new ones constructed.
The Palestinians and the international community have repeatedly urged Israel to ease the travel restrictions in the Palestinian territory, saying that the network of hundreds of checkpoints and roadblocks amounts to collective punishment and stifles local economy.
The Jewish state, currently in negotiations with the Palestinians with a goal of reaching a comprehensive peace deal within 2008, has reiterated its commitment to making life more convenient in the West Bank.