Israel closes West Bank crossings for a week, tightening checkpoint controls

Israel has ordered the closure of all occupied West Bank crossings for a week, restricting Palestinian movement and access to holy sites until Saturday.

The decision was taken on the recommendation of the Israeli military by Defence Minister Israel Katz on Sunday, with the closure said to be linked to the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

During the shutdown Israeli forces blocked roads and sealed the entrances to villages including Turmus Aya, Aboud, Nabi Saleh, Atara and Taybeh in the Ramallah and el‑Bireh governorate. Checkpoints were also set up in Yabroud, Ein Siniya and Jaba to search vehicles and verify IDs.

The measures further limit Palestinians who hold permits to work in Israel or its settlements, a workforce that has fallen sharply since the Gaza war began in October 2023. Only workers deemed essential are now allowed into Israeli industrial zones in the West Bank.

Palestinians already contend with more than 300 Israeli checkpoints across the territory, part of 925 obstacles that restrict the movement of 3.4 million people in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Unemployment in the West Bank has risen from 12.9 percent in September 2023 to 30.7 percent a year later, with the number of West Bank Palestinians working for Israeli employers dropping from about 160,000 before the Gaza war to roughly 27,300 by mid‑2024.

Source: Al Jazeera. Photo: Ala J Graczyk / Pexels.