IDF reseals illegal turnoff near Funduq after safety scare

The IDF, under the direction of Ephraim Brigade commander Col. Faiz Faras, blocked again a turnoff in the Palestinian village of Funduq near Kedumim after local Arabs had reportedly reopened it without authorization by moving concrete barriers placed there by the army.

The closure was carried out at the request of Kedumim council head Ouzal Vetik. He said that after the deadly shooting attack in Funduq last year, in which three Israelis were killed, the local authority worked with security forces to shut all access points in the village except one regulated entrance.

In recent days, residents from the area allegedly removed the barriers and reopened the route on their own. The danger became immediate this week, when a Kedumim resident driving to work was hit by a vehicle driven by an Arab motorist emerging from one of the unregulated turns. He was injured and taken to hospital.

Once Vetik learned the turnoff had been opened, he contacted the Ephraim Brigade commander at once. IDF forces rushed to the scene, returned the barriers to their place, and also cut grooves into the road surface to prevent the turnoff from being reopened in the future.

Vetik praised the army’s rapid response, saying unauthorized openings of roads create a serious immediate safety and security threat, and thanked residents who quickly reported the breach.