Israel imposed a comprehensive closure on the occupied West Bank, as it closed the entrances to many cities and villages using iron gates and concrete barriers, coinciding with its air strikes on Iran.
The Israeli blockade continued for the third day in a row yesterday, Sunday, as the occupation forces intensified their operations in the Palestinian territories, and its campaign resulted in the death of at least 943 Palestinians, including more than 200 children, according to the United Nations, since the beginning of the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.
The Palestinians in the West Bank say that Israeli measures aim to include their lands and expand illegal settlements. The number of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank is estimated at 3 million.
Since the beginning of this year, the Jenin and Tulkarm regions in the West Bank have witnessed continuous Israeli military operations in 3 refugee camps. According to United Nations reports, at least 137 Palestinians this year were martyred in the West Bank, including 27 children.
With the escalation of Israeli attacks on Iran, Israel imposed a complete closure on the West Bank, which raises increasing concern about the impact of these measures on the lives of the Palestinians.
What does Israel do?
The Israeli occupation forces impose a comprehensive closure on the West Bank. Israel is severely restricting the movement of the Palestinians, in addition to the closure of cities and villages, where checkpoints are installed on the main roads, which hinders the entry and exit movement to different regions, according to the Al -Jazeera correspondent report, Nidaa Ibrahim.
The Israeli forces have increased their presence in the West Bank cities, such as Al -Bireh and Ramallah, according to the Palestinian News Agency (Wafa). The strict checkpoints continue to hinder the movement of mobility in Nablus, Hebron, Qalqilya and the Jordan Valley, as these barriers have caused the disruption of farmers and the transportation of their agricultural products.
These closures continue to paralyze daily life in the West Bank, as it limits a lot of freedom of movement, hinders access to basic services, and negatively affects economic activity in the region. Also, attempts to approach the checkpoints were met with live bullets from the occupation soldiers in some places, while the sound bombs and tear gas were used elsewhere.
Reports are reported by injuries. In the Tulkarm refugee camp, the occupation forces opened fire on a 16 -year -old man in his leg. The Israeli forces also carried out night raids in the West Bank, where at least 15 people were arrested, according to Wafa Agency.
At the same time, Israel targeted the Gaza Strip on Sunday, killing 52 Palestinians, including 11 people who were waiting for aid. Since October 7, 2023, the Gaza Ministry of Health has announced that Israel has killed at least 55,97 Palestinians and wounded 128,426.
Why the West Bank is under siege?
The Palestinians said that the aim of the siege imposed on the West Bank is to control them and impose more restrictions on their lives.
In a report issued by the United Nations Human Rights Office in March of this year, he pointed out that the Israeli government has intensified settlements and annexation operations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem during 2024, in a move that is part of a long -term Israeli policy aimed at imposing more control over the Palestinian territories. In several areas of the West Bank, the occupation soldiers expelled dozens of families from their homes, and turned some into military sites.
“Terrorism only brings death and destruction,” it said in one of the Israeli posters on the closure. According to Al -Jazeera’s correspondent, Ibrahim’s call, the Palestinians said that they are the ones who were attacked, noting that the Israeli measures are a step to impose more isolation on them.
What is Israel doing to block the inhabitants of the West Bank?
Qasim Awad, from the settlement unit of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said that Israel has increased the number of checkpoints and barriers in the West Bank from 600 points to 900 since October 7, 2023. He added: “Now they are using this period (the war with Iran) to tighten the closure of the Palestinians, and turn them into regions isolated from each other.”
Meanwhile, ambulances are struggling to reach the wounded due to the failure of their movement due to the barriers.
“Even when we get permission from the occupation army to move, we are held at the checkpoints for a period ranging from 3 to 4 hours before we are allowed to pass. The only way we can work now is to transfer patients from an ambulance to another at these barriers,” said Fayez Abdel -Jabbar, an ambulance driver.
What about the violence of the settlers?
Violence continues. Israeli settlers still continue attacks on Palestinian homes and property. According to what was reported by Al -Jazeera, Nidaa Ibrahim, some settlers take advantage of the blockade imposed on the West Bank to establish and expand illegal settlement points.
In the city of Sudair, last Thursday, the Israeli government and members of the government coalition held a meeting, pledged to include the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media reports.
The Minister of Finance in Salail Smotrich and the Minister of Communications Shlomo Karai stated that they support the annexation, while the Heritage Minister, Amihai Eliao, called for the same thing in Syria and Lebanon as well.
Do Iranian attacks affect the Palestinians?
Since Friday, the sky of Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan has been shine with mutual missiles between Iran and Israel.
While Israel is trying to intercept Iranian missiles, some debris fell in the West Bank, where the Palestinians are not available, unlike the Israelis, shelters or missile protection. Dozens of Palestinians were wounded in the region as a result of the opposed missiles.
“The Palestinians say they are stuck between Iranian missiles and the opposite Israeli missiles.”
What is the role of the Palestinian government in the current situation?
The Palestinian government said it is working to ensure the introduction of food and fuel into the West Bank, in light of the restrictions imposed by Israel. However, the Palestinians express their concern about their government’s ability to provide assistance in light of the Israeli occupation, which controls most of their daily lives. This control has made the ability to help the population in different areas of the West Bank is very difficult.
What is the position of the international community?
In light of the escalation of tensions between Israel and Iran, and the exchange of attacks between the two parties, the international community in most of its interests focused on what is happening between the two countries. However, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) had issued a statement last Friday, confirming that the West Bank is not a war area.
The agency added, “The West Bank is governed by international standards and laws of law enforcement, which Israeli forces must adhere to.”
“The goal of law enforcement is to protect human rights, not its violation. The law must seek to protect the most vulnerable and not to increase their suffering. And most importantly, it must preserve the dignity and life of human being,” she said.
