Bethlehem / PNN /

Israeli occupation forces continued their policy of tightening the siege on the West Bank, setting up iron gates at the entrances to several villages and towns.

This is part of a broader strategy to further fragment the West Bank, isolating its areas and restricting the movement of Palestinian residents as part of collective punishment measures.

Today, Israeli occupation forces installed an iron gate and cement blocks at the entrance to the village of Kafr Malik, east of Ramallah, on the side facing the neighboring village of Deir Jreer. Additionally, an iron gate was set up at the main entrance to the town of Deir Istiya, located to the northwest of Salfit. The entrance had already been closed with dirt barriers for the past ten days.

In Bethlehem Governorate, Israeli forces erected an iron gate at the eastern entrance of the town of Al-Khader, south of the city. Another gate was placed near the Jaba' military checkpoint, northeast of occupied Jerusalem, in an attempt to block citizens attempting to use alternative dirt roads, adding to the gates already installed at the military checkpoint last year.

Israeli occupation soldiers exercise full control over the opening and closing of these gates, often closing them for days or even months at a time. This severely restricts the movement of Palestinian citizens, forcing them to rely on rough, alternative dirt roads to reach their destinations.

Since the beginning of the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people on October 7, 2023, Israel has significantly escalated its policy of isolating and besieging cities and towns in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem.

The Israeli military has waged a war on the main and secondary roads, entrances to cities, towns, villages, and populated areas through the installation of iron gates, cement blocks, and dirt barricades, as part of a collective punishment strategy aimed at further suffocating Palestinian life.