Jerusalem Governorate: Occupation paves new roads to isolate Jerusalem from its surroundings

Ma'rouf Al-Rifai, advisor to the Governor of Jerusalem, stated that the Israeli occupation authorities have begun implementing a wide network of roads and tunnels around the occupied city of Jerusalem, with the aim of tightening the settlement siege around the city, completely separating it from its Arab surroundings, and serving settlement expansion at the expense of Palestinian lands.

Al-Rifai explained, in an interview with sources, that in recent months, the occupation confiscated hundreds of dunams of land in Mikhmas, Jaba', and Al-Ram north of Jerusalem, in preparation for paving a wide settlement road connecting the "Yakhov Yaakov" settlement to the tunnel built under Qalandia Airport, which occupation forces had previously closed with concrete blocks after completing the excavation.

He pointed out that the new road - which will be about 60 meters wide - will consume about 280 dunams, and will lead to the removal of Abu Shalbak roundabout and the closure of the main entrance to Al-Ram town, in addition to the removal of Jaba' bridge and the construction of a replacement bridge of the same width, serving the movement of settlers between settlements established east of Jerusalem and the West Bank and between west of Jerusalem.

Al-Rifai also noted that the project includes serving the industrial zone in the Khan al-Ahmar area, which Israel seeks to transform into what he described as "the largest industrial zone in the Middle East," so that Israeli products can be transported from it to ports and airports in less than 20 minutes via the new roads.

He mentioned that Israel is simultaneously working on paving another road between Hizma and Jaba' extending to the Ayoun al-Haramiya area east of Ramallah, as part of a comprehensive plan to complete the "settlement ring" around Jerusalem through infrastructure that separates Palestinians from settlers and dedicates traffic to Jews only, enabling the occupation authorities to annex large settlement blocs and impose a new geographical reality.

Al-Rifai affirmed that the occupation's "unannounced" goal of these projects goes beyond improving infrastructure, as it aims to remove all obstacles standing in the way of implementing plans to build thousands of new settlement units in Qalandia and Kafr Aqab.

He added that these projects seek to connect settlements to each other through a network of roads, tunnels, and bridges, ultimately establishing facts on the ground that eliminate any possibility of connecting Jerusalem to its Palestinian surroundings, and decide the fate of the city as - according to the Israeli vision - "a unified capital with its eastern and western parts for the occupation."

According to data from the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Israeli "planning committees" studied 107 structural plans during 2025, including 41 plans outside the boundaries of the occupation municipality and 66 in settlements within the boundaries drawn by the municipality for the city of Jerusalem.