Israel chokes West Bank movement amid Jewish holiday

Israel chokes West Bank movement amid Jewish holiday Israeli forces have stepped up restrictions on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, blocking roads, limiting movement and causing hours-long waits at checkpoints. The army has blocked entrances to several towns and villages with iron gates and earth mounds, including on secondary roads, since the Jewish holiday of Sukkot began on 25 September. Checkpoints have also been tightened across the territory, as a comprehensive closure of the West Bank is set to remain in place until the holiday ends on 3 October.

The Atara and Ein Siniya checkpoints north of Ramallah, along with the Jaba’ checkpoint northeast of Jerusalem, stand out as prominent examples of checkpoints characterised by long waiting times, particularly during peak hours. These checkpoints slow the movement of Palestinians between villages, towns and cities, with delays often extending further depending on inspection procedures and conditions at the site, thereby creating major bottlenecks on routes used daily by thousands of Palestinians. Israel chokes West Bank movement amid Jewish holiday Submitted by Fayha Shalash on Mon, 09/28/2026 - 13:21 Roadblocks and checkpoints delay Palestinians and hamper ambulance crews reaching patients People sit on a sofa with a waterpipe to watch as commuters wait in their vehicles at the Israeli Atara checkpoint on Route 465 near Ramallah, occupied West Bank, 27 September 2026 (Zain Jaafar/AFP) Off Israeli forces have stepped up restrictions on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, blocking roads, limiting movement and causing hours-long waits at checkpoints.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Attaf Abu Aliya, a taxi driver from the village of al-Mughayyir east of Ramallah, said he is forced to wait hours every day at checkpoints that soldiers frequently set up at the village entrance. Under normal circumstances, the trip from al-Mughayyir to Ramallah takes only 30 minutes, but the tightened closure has turned the journey into an ordeal lasting many hours. "Waiting for hours has become the norm; soldiers stand there without conducting searches or allowing vehicles to pass, simply to make our lives miserable,” Abu Aliya told Middle East Eye.

“Students miss university classes, and everyone's affairs are disrupted, all because of the whim of a single soldier," he added. Abu Aliya said the situation becomes even more difficult when settlers take control of the checkpoint. 'Waiting for hours has become the norm' - Attaf Abu Aliya, Palestinian taxi driver At times, he said, set…