Jerusalem: Israeli occupation forces on Friday morning sealed off the al-Jib military checkpoint, northwest of the occupied West Bank city of Jerusalem, according to the Jerusalem Governorate. The checkpoint closure denied hundreds of Palestinians access to nearby mosques to perform Eid al-Fitr prayers.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the occupation forces have been tightening military measures across the occupied West Bank since the release of the first batch of Palestinian prisoners as part of the Gaza ceasefire in January 2025. These measures include dismembering and isolating cities and governorates from one another using military gates, barriers, and concrete blocks.
Palestinians' freedom of movement within the occupied West Bank is severely restricted through a complex combination of approximately 917 fixed and flying checkpoints and gates. This includes 244 gates installed after October 7, 2023, settler-only roads, over 200 military bases, and various other physical obstructions.
The Israeli military measures coincide with ongoing attacks by Israeli colonists across the West Bank, which aim to terrorize Palestinians and displace them from their lands. The goal is to seize the land and build illegal Jewish colonies that separate Palestinian communities.
Closures and other measures, taken under the guise of security, are intended to entrench Israel's 59-year-old military occupation of the West Bank. This occupation is enforced with routine and frequently deadly violence against Palestinians.