"In April Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak told U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that Israel had removed 61 of the more than 500 roadblocks and checkpoints in the West Bank "to make life easier for the Palestinians." This followed promises made by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at the Annapolis, Maryland, peace talks towards the end of last year, to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that the number of roadblocks in the West Bank would be significantly reduced. However, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported in May that the number of West Bank closure obstacles had risen from 566 to 607 from September last year to the end of April this year." (thanks Toufic)