For seven years, Israel has denied Palestinians freedom of movement to ease travel for Israelis in the West Bank

Israel maintains 47 checkpoints and 455 physical obstructions inside the West Bank

Palestinian travel on 312 kilometers of road is restricted or prohibited

The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem is today (August 7) publishing Ground to a Halt , a comprehensive report on the restrictions Israel has imposed on Palestinian travel in the West Bank since the beginning of the second intifada. The 100-page report details how Israeli authorities have turned Palestinian freedom of movement from a fundamental human right into a privilege that Israel grants or withholds as it deems fit.

The State of Israel has the right, even the duty, to protect its citizens. However, while some restrictions on movement were originally imposed in response to a specific security threat, today they primarily serve other objectives, among them the creation of a road network that is rapid, convenient and relatively "sterile" of Palestinians for the use of settlers and other Israelis traveling in the West Bank .

Israel employs a combination of several measures to implement its regime of restrictions. These include 47 checkpoints inside the West Bank, 455 physical obstructions on roads, and the Separation Barrier, 80 percent of which lies inside the West Bank . On 312 kilometers of main roads in the West Bank , vehicles bearing Palestinian license plates are forbidden or restricted.

Israel has imposed the restrictions in a way that splits the West Bank into six subsections. This geographic division has far-reaching effects on every aspect of Palestinian life. The restrictions impede access to medical services. The difficulty in getting to work, the constant lack of certainty, and the greater expenses resulting from the restrictions gravely affect the economy and trade in the West Bank . The restrictions impair family and social ties. Other negative ramifications include a decline in the supply of infrastructure services and in law enforcement in areas under the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority.

A substantial proportion of the restrictions are intended to serve ulterior interests, rendering the restrictions illegal. Furthermore, even if all the restrictions were intended to achieve legitimate security interests, many of them would violate the principle of proportionality, and therefore be illegal. It is also clear that the restrictions result in what is effectively collective punishment.

B'Tselem calls on the government of Israel and the defense authorities to remove all the permanent and sweeping restrictions on movement inside the West Bank and to concentrate along the Green Line or inside Israel the means used to protect Israelis. The settlement enterprise, which is directly related to denial of Palestinian freedom of movement in the West Bank, is illegal, so Israel must dismantle them. Until this process is completed, Israel must safeguard the lives of the settlers by means that restrict their freedom of movement and not that of the Palestinians.