Ramallah: Israeli occupation forces have continued to intensify their siege on the West Bank by installing iron gates at the entrances of several villages and towns, effectively restricting the movement of Palestinian residents. This action is part of a broader strategy aimed at further fragmenting the West Bank and imposing measures of collective punishment.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA, the latest developments include the installation of an iron gate and cement blocks at the entrance to Kafr Malik, a village east of Ramallah, on the side facing Deir Jreer. In addition, an iron gate was erected at the main entrance to Deir Istiya, a town northwest of Salfit, which had been closed with dirt barriers for the past ten days.
In the Bethlehem Governorate, Israeli forces have placed an iron gate at the eastern entrance of Al-Khader, a town south of Bethlehem. Another gate was positioned near the Jaba’ military checkpoint, northeast of occupied Jerusalem, in an effort to block citizens from using alternative dirt roads. This adds to the gates already set up at the military checkpoint last year.
Israeli soldiers maintain full control over the opening and closing of these gates, often leaving them shut for extended periods, which severely limits the movement of Palestinian citizens. As a result, Palestinians are compelled to use rough, alternative dirt roads to reach their destinations.
Since the beginning of the Israeli aggression against Palestinians on October 7, 2023, there has been a marked escalation in the policy of isolating and besieging cities and towns in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem. The Israeli military has targeted main and secondary roads, entrances to cities, towns, villages, and populated areas with iron gates, cement blocks, and dirt barricades, as a strategy of collective punishment designed to stifle Palestinian life.