The occupation suffocates the West Bank with more gates and barriers.

About a year ago, the occupying army closed the main access point to the town of Idna in the southern West Bank, which connects it to the city of Hebron and the north. To this day, it continues to close the access point and shuts down every alternative dirt road that residents create to manage their daily lives.

The main entrance, closed with an iron gate, is a lifeline for the village's residents, estimated to number around 30,000. Its closure has dealt a blow to the city's economy, in addition to the loss of many lives due to delays in providing medical assistance and transporting them to hospitals in Hebron.

Coinciding with the launch of the genocide against Gaza on October 7, 2023, the occupation intensified its measures in the West Bank, deploying hundreds of checkpoints and iron gates, and this week further tightened its grip, according to Palestinian official sources.

Jaber Al-Tamizi, the mayor of Idna, says that the distance between the town and the city of Hebron to the east, via Route 35 north of the city, used to take no more than 10 minutes, but today it takes more than an hour.

He added that the repercussions of the closure manifested in human losses, citing the case of the former mayor, Jamal Al-Tamizi, a few weeks ago, who could not be transported to the hospital by ambulance, and could have reached in time if the road had been open.

The mayor points out that many residents of the town primarily rely on scrap recycling operations, and the impact of the closure has resulted in a buildup of raw materials and the inability to dispose of them except to a minimal extent.

Notably, this week, the Israeli occupying army intensified its siege imposed on Palestinian villages and cities in the West Bank by deploying more iron gates and locks.

These measures coincided with threats from Defense Minister Yoav Gallant following the Jerusalem operation last Monday, stating that there would be severe and long-term consequences for the West Bank as a result of this operation.

According to documentation from the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, the occupying army closed all entrances to the city of Jerusalem and the surrounding villages and towns in the last three days, imposing strict measures on the entrances to the city of Ramallah.

The occupying authorities expanded the deployment of iron gates, which are yellow gates with one or two arms and can reach a length of 20 meters, and are locked with locks for which soldiers hold the keys.