Israeli occupation forces installed three new iron gates in central Hebron (al-Khalil) on Sunday, adding to the dozens of checkpoints and restrictions already imposed on Palestinians around the city’s Old City and further complicating movement for residents and traders.
Bader al-Daour, head of the Old City Committee in al-Khalil, said Israeli occupation forces placed the three gates around Bab al-Baladiya, the main entrance of the Old City, alongside a fourth gate that had already been installed at the same site.
Al-Daour explained that the four gates were set up within an area of no more than 200 square meters, at a junction where several roads leading into the Old City meet at its vital western entrance.
He warned that the new measures would create an additional obstacle for hundreds of families and shopkeepers, who will no longer be able to use vehicles to transport their needs and goods. Instead, they will have to rely on small carts or carry items by hand for nearly 800 meters toward the Ibrahimi Mosque to the east.
Al-Daour said the rapid escalation in Israeli measures had exceeded all expectations, describing the restrictions as part of a plan to facilitate settler incursions into the area and create conditions that push Palestinian residents and traders to leave.
He noted that the Old City is home to 14 patients suffering from kidney failure and cancer who need vehicle access, making them among the groups most affected by the new restrictions.
Data from the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission shows that al-Khalil governorate has the highest number of Israeli movement obstacles in the West Bank, with 221 fixed checkpoints and closure points out of 942 barriers and gates cutting across the territory.
According to earlier data from the Youth Against Settlements group, the Israeli military maintains more than 120 staffed and physical obstacles in the streets and alleys of the Old City alone.
Under the 1997 Al-Khalil Agreement between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel, al-Khalil was divided into two areas: H1, under Palestinian control, and H2, under Israeli control. H2 makes up about 20% of the city and includes the Old City, the Ibrahimi Mosque and neighborhoods subject to curfew restrictions.
Settler Attacks Across the West Bank
Extremist Jewish settlers attacked several areas across the West Bank on Monday, targeting Palestinian citizens and property.
In Ramallah, a horde of settlers stole olive harvests and destroyed olive trees in the town of Umm Safa, west of the city.
In Nablus, a group of settlers stormed the al-Harayek area of Beita town, south of the city, and stole olives from Palestinian groves.
In southern al-Khalil, settlers stormed an area around Palestinian homes in Khallet al-Hams in Masafer Yatta in an attempt to terrorize local residents and shepherds.
In the Jenin governorate, settlers hurled stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling on the road linking the towns of Jaba and Ajja, damaging some of them.
A wave of settler attacks was also reported across the occupied West Bank yesterday.
A 45-year-old Palestinian man sustained injuries after settlers savagely assaulted him in Sebastia, northwest of Nablus. The settlers reportedly blocked an ambulance from reaching the wounded man for a period of time.
Another group of settlers assaulted a farmer while he was harvesting olives in the Mahfurya area of Aqraba town, south of Nablus, and stole his olive harvest along with his farming equipment.
In another incident, settlers escorted by soldiers stole olive harvests from Palestinian groves in the towns of Rammun and Deir Dibwan, northeast of Ramallah.
Settlers also bulldozed swaths of agricultural land in Umm Safa village, northwest of Ramallah, to expand an illegal outpost set up in the Jabal al-Ras area in 2024. Those settlers already seized hundreds of dunums in the area over recent months.
In Tulkarem, settlers assaulted Palestinian farmers from the Sanjaq family while they were harvesting olives on their land in the town of Ramin, east of the city.
Those settlers stole olive crops and harvesting tools, severely beat and injured farmer Mujiruddin Sanjaq, and smashed his cellphone.
In Salfit, settlers attacked the an-Nasba area of Yasuf village, east of the city, throwing stones at the house of Basil Yassin. Luckily, no one was hurt.
Settlers also vandalized dozens of olive trees in the western part of Deir Ballut town, west of Salfit, and roamed the area to prevent farmers from reaching their land.
In the town of Kafr ad-Dik, settlers stole olive crops from Palestinian farmland in the northern area and wreaked havoc on several olive trees.
In Jerusalem, settlers stormed the Wadi Abu Hindi community southeast of the holy city, assaulted several local shepherds, and stole around 130 head of sheep belonging to Eid Salama and Ibrahim Hammad.
IOF Raids Homes, Kidnaps Several Palestinians in West Bank
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed different areas of the West Bank last night and on Monday morning, raiding homes and kidnapping a number of Palestinian citizens.
In Nablus, the IOF stormed the towns of Beita, Urif, Qusin and Deir Sharaf, and kidnapped three children from their homes.
Seven citizens, including journalist Sami ash-Shami, were taken prisoner following IOF raids on homes in the village of Asira al-Qibliya, south of Nablus.
Journalist Raja Jabr was also kidnapped after Israeli forces raided her home in the town of Arraba, southwest of Jenin.
In Tubas, Israeli forces raided several homes in the town of Tamun and kidnapped two citizens, including the wife of a wanted citizen.
In the Ramallah and al-Bireh province, the IOF carried out raids on some homes and kidnapped a female activist in Ramallah City.
Israeli forces also stormed the campus of Birzeit University in northern Ramallah, detained a security guard, and demolished a memorial to martyred students.
In Bethlehem, Israeli forces kidnapped a young man after breaking into and ransacking his home in the town of Beit Fajjar.
The IOF also carried out raids on other areas of the West Bank today, with no reported arrests.
Yesterday, the IOF kidnapped several citizens, including three children, during raids in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Source: Palestinian media (edited and translated by Al-Manar)