The Cost of Closure: Occupation Checkpoints in the North and Central West Bank since 7 October

Abstract

This report examines the impact of Israeli checkpoints and movement restrictions in the north and central West Bank, focusing on lost working hours and additional fuel costs. Geographic data collected using GPS devices reveals that traffic decreased by 51.7% following Israel’s incursion into Gaza in October 2023. Waiting times at 14 military checkpoints, out of a random sample of 23 permanently reinforced checkpoints between cities in the northern and central West Bank, ranged from 15 to 50 minutes. The report estimates the daily loss of working hours at approximately 191,146, costing the Palestinian economy around $764,600 per day, or $16.8 million per month. The additional distances travelled to avoid checkpoints result in extra fuel consumption estimated at approximately $19,203 per day, or $6 million annually.