Israeli army seals West Bank village entrance for 20 hours: Official

Amin Abu Aliya, head of the Al-Mughayyir village council in the occupied West Bank, said Israeli forces have kept the community's sole entrance sealed for 20 consecutive hours, preventing residents from entering or leaving as part of intensified restrictions over the past three weeks.

Siege tightened on village

Abu Aliya said the village's only remaining access point is repeatedly closed in the morning to block workers from reaching their jobs and later in the day to prevent those outside from returning, according to Anadolu. He stated the measures are designed to create conditions that force laborers to remain outside the community and ultimately drive Palestinians from the area.

Military raids and confrontations

Israeli forces raided Al-Mughayyir on Friday with dozens of military and police vehicles alongside Israeli occupiers, claiming that sheep belonging to a settler had been stolen. Abu Aliya rejected the allegation as false, stating that troops nevertheless pursued Palestinian livestock owners, raided a home and attempted to seize sheep, sparking confrontations in which Palestinians were injured.

While residents were dealing with attacks in the southern part of the village, more than 50 Israeli occupiers entered the northern area, assaulted a Palestinian farmer and stole 25 sheep, Abu Aliya added. Israeli forces have kept the village entrance closed since the raid and prevent ambulances and Civil Defense vehicles from entering during the closures.

'Suffocating siege'

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry warned earlier Saturday that Al-Mughayyir had been subjected to a "suffocating siege" for around 20 days. Israeli forces control access through village gates, at times allowing residents only two hours a day to enter or leave, according to the ministry, which said the restrictions and attacks by Israeli occupiers were aimed at isolating the village and creating conditions for forced displacement.

Three Palestinians were injured Friday in an occupier attack in Al-Mughayyir, while Israeli forces and occupiers blocked an ambulance en route to transport those who were injured. The occupied West Bank has seen an escalation in Israeli military raids and attacks by Israeli occupiers against Palestinians since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023.