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Occupied Jerusalem: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Sunday said she expected Israel to take meaningful steps to improve Palestinians’ lives in the West Bank.
Rice arrived in Occupied Jerusalem on Saturday for a three-day trip. She had said she was looking for ways to ease Israeli travel restrictions on Palestinians in the West Bank.
An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said one or two West Bank checkpoints and about 50 dirt mounds blocking Palestinian movement would be removed.
Israel has hundreds of checkpoints and roadblocks in the territory, citing security concerns. Palestinians call the restrictions collective punishment.
"I really do think that what we have to do is to have meaningful progress towards a better life for the Palestinian people, towards economic viability for Palestinians," Rice told a joint news conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.
Livni said Israel wanted to help the Palestinians but offered no details and stressed that any move should not compromise Israeli security.
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