Israeli roadblocks disrupt schools and medical care in West Bank village
Residents of Madama describe being cut off from hospitals, schools, and olive groves as Israeli forces blockade village.
Wail Qut, 42, usually commutes to work in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. But for more than two weeks he has been stuck at home in the village of Madama, south of Nablus, due to a tight Israeli siege.
On October 11, the Israeli army blocked the village’s four entrances with earthen barriers, citing “security reasons”. Qut says that the Israeli military has told residents that the restrictions would remain until Palestinian farmers stopped trying to access their land, particularly in the northern part of the village, where an illegal settler outpost is located.
The decision has completely restricted the movement of more than 2,500 residents. On October 20, the army briefly opened the northern entrance for a few hours before closing it once again.
“The olive harvest season has come to an end for the people of Madama, a season they rely on entirely, especially given their harsh living conditions. Every year, the harvest felt like a celebration; now, all we see is them bulldozing and uprooting our trees,” Nassar said sorrowfully.