Israel will close all land crossings with the occupied West Bank on Oct. 27 and tighten Palestinian workers’ access beforehand, restricting movement as Israel holds its election for the 26th Knesset.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Palestinian workers would be barred from West Bank and Jordan Valley settlements on Oct. 25 and 26, with exceptions for industrial zones and a limited number of approved areas. On election day, restrictions will also cover industrial zones, and workers will be barred from entering or leaving the West Bank and Jordan Valley. All land crossings will close for the day. Israel’s political leadership approved the measures following a recommendation from the security establishment, the military said.
The restrictions follow a shooting near Yehuda Junction outside Hebron on Oct. 23 that killed two Israeli soldiers, according to the IDF. The Associated Press (AP) reported that three additional soldiers suffered minor injuries and that Israeli forces killed two men suspected in the attack.
The IDF said its Hebron operation was confined to the area from which the gunmen operated and was expected to last several days. Residents in that operation area could leave only through three designated exit points, after questioning and security screening, the military said. In a separate weekend update, it reported operations in about 40 villages and about 400 locations across the West Bank, with about 40 suspects detained. The IDF said some detainees were affiliated with Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Amjad Iraqi, International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for Israel and the Palestinian territories, told AP that candidates used the attack to signal resolve while security remained prominent in the campaign. Iraqi also told AP that Israeli right-wing politicians have repeatedly invoked security concerns in arguments for staying in power. EconoTimes previously covered Netanyahu’s order to search the attackers’ neighborhood and prepare for a West Bank closure.
Israel’s Central Elections Committee lists Oct. 27 as election day for the 26th Knesset.
