Traffic Jams Build at Jerusalem's Northern Entrances Amid Israeli Checkpoint Restrictions

Heavy traffic jams built up at the northern entrances to Jerusalem on Sunday evening as Israeli forces tightened restrictions at military checkpoints, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

Local sources said the worst congestion was near the Qalandia checkpoint and the Fruit Roundabout, known in Arabic as Dawwar al-Fawakih, in the town of Kafr Aqab, north of Jerusalem,(Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA))

The sources said the restrictions on the movement of Palestinians had caused the backlog at those points,(Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA))

Stricter measures at the military checkpoint serving the Shu'afat refugee camp also slowed traffic and left vehicles queuing, the agency reported.

Israeli forces also set up a checkpoint at the entrances to the town of Hizma, which the report said further blocked traffic and caused gridlock.

The traffic crisis at the Qalandia checkpoint was continuing at the time of the report, local sources said.

The agency said residents faced significant hardship and long delays in reaching their destinations.

The Qalandia checkpoint sits on the main road linking Jerusalem with the city of Ramallah, and it has long been one of the most heavily used crossings for Palestinians travelling in and out of Jerusalem.

Israel has maintained a large network of checkpoints across the occupied West Bank and in East Jerusalem since 1967, and Palestinian groups have repeatedly complained that these controls disrupt daily life, work and access to services.