Salfit: Israeli occupying forces on Tuesday evening installed a new metal gate between Kifl Hares and Hares villages, northwest of the occupied West Bank city of Salfit. The installation of the gate has effectively blocked the only road left for villagers to access the city.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the soldiers erected the metal gate in the area between the two villages, further restricting the movement of residents. The occupation forces had already sealed off the main entrances of Kifl Hares and Hares, severely impacting the daily lives of the villagers.
Earlier in the day, forces installed a similar gate at the entrance of Deir Ballout town, located to the west of Salfit. The installation of these gates is part of a broader pattern of tightening military measures across the occupied West Bank, which began shortly after the release of the first batch of Palestinian prisoners as part of the Gaza ceasefire in January. These measures include the use of military gates, barriers, and concrete blocks to dismember and isolate cities and governorates.
The occupation forces have imposed severe restrictions on Palestinians' freedom of movement within the occupied West Bank through a network of approximately 898 fixed and flying checkpoints and gates. This network includes 18 gates installed since the start of 2025 and 146 others erected following the events of October 7, 2023. Additionally, there are settler-only roads, over 200 military bases, and various other physical obstructions in place.
The Israeli military measures coincide with ongoing attacks by Israeli colonists across the West Bank, which are aimed at terrorizing Palestinians and displacing them from their lands. These actions are intended to seize land and build illegal Jewish colonies, further separating Palestinian communities.
These closures and other measures, which are often justified under the guise of security, are aimed at entrenching Israel's long-standing military occupation of the West Bank. This occupation, now in its 58th year, is characterized by routine and frequently deadly violence against Palestinians, reinforcing the settler colonial project.
