Zionist Forces Intensify Blockade on West Bank Village, Restrict Ambulance Access
Zionist forces have intensified their siege on the village of al-Mughayyir in the occupied West Bank for the fourth consecutive day, increasing raids on homes, arresting residents, and destroying farmland.
Local activist Mohammed Abu Alia reported that troops conducted raids on over 30 homes, searched belongings, and discharged tear gas within one of the residences.
He reported that military personnel commandeered vehicles, confiscated money and jewelry, and restricted access to the village for both residents and journalists. Numerous families have remained stranded outside the area since Thursday.
Land clearing activities were observed as bulldozers worked to construct a new road for settlers on the eastern outskirts of the village. This development resulted in the uprooting of hundreds of trees.
The incursions come in the wake of reports that an illegal settler was injured during a shooting incident at a settlement outpost established on the land of al-Mughayyir.
Rawhi Fattouh, the head of the Palestinian National Council, has condemned the raid, describing it as a component of a “systematic policy of forced displacement and ethnic cleansing.”
He stated that the violence in al-Mughayyir is directly connected to Israel’s wider settlement strategy, which encompasses the recently sanctioned E1 plan situated east of al-Quds.
Critics argue that the contentious plan would effectively divide the West Bank and hinder the establishment of a sustainable Palestinian state.
According to Marzouq Abu Naim, the deputy head of the al-Mughayyir village council, Israeli forces have maintained a complete blockade on all village entrances. Additionally, military checkpoints have been set up, and essential businesses, such as bakeries and pharmacies, have been compelled to cease operations.
Ambulance services were obstructed from accessing the village, leaving pregnant women to traverse on foot to checkpoints and seek medical attention in neighboring locales.
In a recent statement, Fattouh emphasized that the ongoing situation in Gaza is intrinsically linked to a broader campaign against the Palestinian people, describing it as encompassing genocide, siege, and starvation. He called for international intervention to hold Israeli leaders responsible for these actions.
Israeli forces have reportedly removed thousands of olive trees in the vicinity of a settlement road encircling the village. The army has notified the village council that the action is being undertaken on “security” grounds.
Abu Naim claimed that Israel is engaging in “collective revenge” against villagers, in response to the distribution of images and videos showing military and settler uprooting activities.
Israel has intensified its actions against Palestinians in the West Bank, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,014 individuals and injuring over 7,000 since the commencement of a major military operation in Gaza in October 2023.
In a landmark ruling in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared that Israel’s longstanding occupation of Palestinian territories is unlawful and called for the removal of all settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds.
