Ramallah: Israeli occupation forces on Monday evening tightened movement restrictions at the 'Ein Siniya checkpoint, north of Ramallah, according to local sources. They reported that the heavily armed soldiers increased their presence at the checkpoint leading to the nearby village of 'Ein Siniya, stopping Palestinian-licensed vehicles, inspecting passengers' ID cards, and causing severe traffic congestion.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the soldiers also launched barrages of tear gas canisters at Palestinian passengers, although no injuries were reported. The tightening of military measures across the occupied West Bank coincides with the release of 90 Palestinian prisoners following the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire on January 19, 2025. These restrictions have been intensified since the onset of the Israeli-Iranian war, effectively dismembering and isolating cities and governorates from each other with military gates, barriers, and concrete blocks.
The Israeli military measures come alongside continued 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 further separate Palestinian communities.
Israel imposes severe restrictions on Palestinians' freedom of movement within the occupied West Bank through a complex network of approximately 898 fixed and flying checkpoints and gates, including 18 new gates installed since the start of 2025 and 146 others since October 7, 2023. The network also includes settler-only roads, over 200 military bases, and various other physical obstructions. These closures and other measures, justified under the guise of security, are intended to entrench Israel's longstanding military occupation of the West Bank and its settler colonial project, enforced through routine and often deadly violence against Palestinians.