Gaza: Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday sealed off two major checkpoints, north of the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, causing significant disruptions in the area. According to local sources, the Atara and Ein Sinia military checkpoints were blocked, resulting in severe traffic congestion and long queues of vehicles, with commuters experiencing delays of several hours.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, thousands of Palestinians rely on these checkpoints, including Atara and Ein Sinia, to commute to Ramallah and its surrounding towns and villages. The recent sealing of checkpoints has intensified military measures across the occupied West Bank, following the release of 90 Palestinian prisoners as part of the Gaza ceasefire that went into effect on January 19. These restrictions have been tightened further since the onset of the Israeli-Iranian war, leading to the isolation of cities and governorates through the use of military gates, barriers, and concrete blocks.
The Israeli military actions occur alongside ongoing attacks by Israeli colonists across the West Bank, aimed at intimidating Palestinians and displacing them from their lands to facilitate the construction of illegal Jewish colonies that further segregate Palestinian communities. Israel employs a complex system to restrict Palestinians' freedom of movement within the occupied West Bank, comprising approximately 898 fixed and flying checkpoints and gates, including 18 gates installed since the start of 2025 and 146 others set up after October 7, 2023. This system also includes settler-only roads, over 200 military bases, and various other physical obstructions.
The closures and other measures, justified under the guise of security, are part of Israel's strategy to solidify its 59-year-old military occupation of the West Bank and its settler colonial project, enforced with routine and often deadly violence against Palestinians.