Occupation Tightens Closure on Al-Jabaa Village Southwest of Bethlehem

SadaNews - The head of Al-Jabaa village council, Diab Mushayla, stated that the Israeli occupation forces have fully tightened their closure on the village by shutting down all its main entrances.

Mushayla told the official agency that the occupation forces closed the main entrance on the southeastern side a week ago, which was the only remaining passage for movement and access to the city center. He pointed out that the citizens in the village are living in difficult humanitarian conditions.

He noted that since the beginning of the aggression on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, the occupation has closed the southern entrance adjacent to the town of Surif north of Hebron, and that the entrance connecting the village to the town of Nahhalin west of Bethlehem has been closed with two iron gates, in addition to closing all the dirt and agricultural roads that citizens could take amidst risky conditions.

Mushayla added that the village, which has a population of 1,300, suffers from a sufficient supply of food and medical materials, in addition to the fact that the doctors working at the medical clinic in the village cannot reach it, and even the only pharmacy available in the village, owned by someone from outside, is inaccessible due to the closures.

He indicated that the occupation has set up two military checkpoints at the entrance of "Gush Etzion" settlement to monitor the movements of citizens, in addition to the arbitrary behavior of the soldiers stationed there regarding dealing with medical cases.

Mushayla called on human rights organizations worldwide and the international community for immediate intervention to rescue the village and its residents.