The Israeli army on Monday lifted the blockade of the occupied West Bank that was imposed after a Palestinian attack at a Jewish religious school in Jerusalem that killed eight teens.

"The strict closure was lifted overnight Sunday," a military spokesman told AFP.

The Israeli army had sealed off the area on Friday night.

The lifting of the closure does not do away with restrictions which have been imposed for years on Palestinians entering Israel.

Since the start of the Palestinian intifada or uprising in September 2000, the West Bank has been practically sealed off, leading to rising unemployment and other economic problems in the territory.

PHOTO CAPTION

Israeli forces take position during confrontations with Palestinian stone throwers in the occupied West Bank town of Hebron on March 3.

AFP