BEIT SIRA, May 28, 2010 (AFP) - The army on Tuesday reopened a key highway to Palestinian traffic after Israel's supreme court ordered the lifting of a 10-year-old ban which turned Route 443 into an Israelis-only road.

At the same time, the army opened new checkpoints on the 15-kilometre (nine-mile) stretch of Route 443 that runs through the occupied West Bank.

Early in the day, just a trickle of residents from the West bank town of Beit Sira ventured out onto the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway, which had been closed to them for a decade, barricaded off by massive concrete blocks.

Residents were hoping the lifting of the ban would cut down on travel time to some areas, but human rights groups feared the army checkpoints would severely affect traffic and said all access points should be reopened.

"Through the 443 ruling and implementation plan, the Israeli authorities are creating an illusion of justice while continuing to violate the Palestinians' rights and mock the principle of rule of law," the Association for Civil Rights in Israel said.

ACRI had filed the petition for the ban on Palestinian traffic to be lifted.

The military, for its part, said its forces "will continue to maintain the safety of the citizens of Israel, while taking into account the Palestinian quality of life as well as honouring Israeli law and supreme court decisions."

In December 2009, the court accepted the ACRI petition, ruling that Palestinians must be allowed to use the road built on their land.

Since then the army has been further fortifying 443, building a series of roadblocks to inspect Palestinians motorists coming from the villages before allowing them onto the highway and a major checkpoint that would make sure they do not continue into Israel.

And the whole stretch that is opening to the Palestinians has been lined with triple coils of shiny new razor wire.

But some Israelis fear they still might not be safe.

"Most Israelis are afraid that terror attacks will return to the road," said Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, a lawyer who filed a counter appeal against the road opening on behalf of more than 1,000 signatories.

bur-pfm/hc

Copyright AFP 2010.