Mapping Israel’s 300 checkpoints: Where they are and how they work
Israel has shut occupied West Bank crossings for a week, further restricting Palestinian movement and holy site access.
Israel has sealed off the occupied West Bank for a week, shutting its crossings and tightening restrictions on Palestinian movement, citing the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
Defence Minister Israel Katz on Sunday ordered the closure on the military’s recommendation, and it will remain in place until Saturday.
Palestinians already face severe restrictions on their movement due to hundreds of Israeli checkpoints and barriers across the occupied territory. Now, controls at checkpoints and barriers across the territory will tighten further, cutting off access to holy sites such as the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron in the West Bank.
For decades, Palestinians in the West Bank have looked for work inside Israel because of high unemployment and low wages at home, which are the result of nearly six decades of Israeli occupation that has restricted their economy, land and movement.