Since the outbreak of conflict with Hamas over two years ago, Israel has established approximately a thousand checkpoints in various towns and cities throughout the West Bank, significantly restricting Palestinian mobility and impacting their daily lives. Although movement restrictions have been in place since Israel’s occupation of the West Bank during the 1967 war, the sheer number of new checkpoints is unprecedented, according to local residents.
A Palestinian governmental organization, the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, reported that since the assault on October 7, 2023, Israel has erected 916 gates, barriers, and walls. Additionally, military raids across the West Bank have surged, resulting in thousands of deaths and arrests.
Among the new checkpoints are metal gates set up at the entrances to numerous villages and towns, hindering entry and exit, often monitored by Israeli soldiers.
Palestinians have complained that the opening times for these gates are inconsistent; some remain shut for days, forcing people to either stay overnight at relatives’ homes or walk considerable distances to bypass them.
The United Nations documented 18 new gates installed in the West Bank during the first half of September.
Alternative Routes
The new barriers, which sever connections between the northern and southern regions of the West Bank, compel the approximately 3 million Palestinian residents to take longer detours. Journeys that previously took 20 minutes can now exceed an hour.
Residents of the village of Aboud mentioned that the entry gates are routinely closed from six to nine in the morning, hindering students from reaching their universities and workers from getting to their jobs. Taxi driver Mohammad Shalatu stated that the situation is part of Israel’s strategy to disrupt the local population’s sense of security.
Another local, Izzaldin Al-Siyouri from the village of Deir Dyab, expressed that under the current circumstances, everything is paralyzed. He noted that the gates have blocked access to his gym, prompting thoughts of closing it down and potentially leaving the country.
Eyad Jamil, a restaurant owner from Singel, shared his concerns, stating, “Every time my son travels to Ramallah, I can’t be sure he will return.” He added that the gates don’t always open, trapping everyone within their confines.