Israel closes Jerusalem roads, West Bank crossings for Yom Kippur

Israeli authorities sealed several major arteries in occupied Jerusalem and shuttered nearly all checkpoints connecting the West Bank to the city late Sunday as Yom Kippur observances began, disrupting Palestinian movement and leaving some residents unable to return home, witnesses told Anadolu.

Movement restrictions

Witnesses reported a heavy deployment of Israeli forces across occupied Jerusalem alongside heightened security measures that prevented many Palestinians from crossing into the city. Some Palestinian residents of Jerusalem who had been in the West Bank found themselves stranded and unable to reach their homes before the holiday commenced.

Holiday observance

Israel routinely suspends vehicle traffic and closes roads during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar marked by fasting, prayer and the cessation of most daily activities. The restrictions began Sunday evening and will last until Monday evening, preceding Sukkot from Sept. 26 to Oct. 2 and Simchat Torah on Oct. 3 in the annual holiday cycle.

Al-Aqsa tensions

The closures coincide with increased incursions by Israeli settlers into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound under the protection of Israeli police, prompting tightened security around the Old City. Palestinian and Jordanian officials have repeatedly warned against attempts to alter the established temporal and spatial status quo at the site, according to local reports.