Right to freedom of movement : Israeli military checkpoint's legitimacy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip

Abstract

The right to freedom of movement is a fundamental right, as laid down in Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees the right to liberty of movement and not to be subject to restrictions except as provided by law. The right to freedom of movement is placed in international law. The spreading over the West Bank and Gaza Strip restrictions imposed by Israel in the name of "security needs" prevent the Palestinians from living a normal life and also endanger their lives. Over the past years, Israel has instituted and intensified their policy of closures of towns and villages inhabited by Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. Most of the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip have been enclosed for 10 years in this narrow strip of land, 45 kilometers long and never more than 12 kilometers wide. In the West Bank, since the beginning of the Intifada in 28 September 2000, almost every town and village has been cut off behind piles of earth, concrete blocks or military barriers and military checkpoints that block every access road. These closures constitute a grave human rights violation and a collective punishment targeted against all Palestinians in the Occupied Territories for killings committed by a few.