Ramallah: Israeli occupation forces Wednesday tightened the movement restrictions around the occupied West Bank governorate of Ramallah, according to security sources. They reported that the occupation soldiers sealed off the Atara and ‘Ein Siniya checkpoints, directing hundreds of Palestinian-registered vehicles to take alternative, longer routes to reach their destinations.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA, the occupation forces also closed the permanently staffed checkpoints of Nabi Saleh and Aboud villages, northwest of Ramallah, shutting the metal gates at the entry points of both villages. This action resulted in severe traffic congestion and left dozens of villagers trapped for long hours. The military measures across the occupied West Bank were intensified just hours after the release of 90 Palestinian prisoners, which was part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
These tightened restrictions align with ongoing attacks by Israeli colonists throughout the West Bank, aimed at terrorizing Palestinians and displacing them to seize their lands for the construction of illegal Jewish colonies. These colonies are strategically designed to separate Palestinian communities, further complicating their daily lives.
The Israeli forces impose severe movement restrictions on Palestinians within the occupied West Bank through a network of approximately 500 fixed checkpoints, numerous flying checkpoints, settler-only roads, over 200 military bases, and various other physical obstructions. These closures and other measures, presented under the guise of security, serve to entrench Israel’s long-standing military occupation of the West Bank and its settler colonial project, which is enforced with routine and often deadly violence against Palestinians.