Politics
Israel’s bombing of Iran means more restrictions and tighter control for Palestinians
The Israeli occupation consistently uses the pretext of ‘security’ needs to implement policies designed for permanent control, domination, and de facto annexation of the Palestinian territory. And very soon after it initiated its first attacks on Iran, on 28 February, the military acted swiftly to tighten its grip on Palestinians in the West Bank even further.
Israeli occupation using its attacks on Iran to increase its control over Palestinians in West Bank
A Palestinian resident of Birzeit told the Canary that these flyers, from the Israeli occupation forces (IOF), have been scattered everywhere on the roads around Birzeit, and also in other areas of the West Bank.
Translated, it reads as follows:
Statement to the people of Judea and Samaria:
During this escalating security situation the IDF [ Israeli ‘Defense’ Forces] has made the whole area of Judea and Samaria [West Bank] into a security area, to maintain the security and stability of the region.
It is prohibited completely to move between places, from the moment of this publication until further updates.
Terrorism and terrorists bring death and destruction
The IDF is working with large enhanced forces to maintain security, stability, and public order.
You must follow these instructions.
Anyone who tries to harm the Israelis, or the IDF will be shot or jailed.
The closure of al-Aqsa mosque during Ramadan — under pretext of security concerns — is also an attempt to tighten control over Palestinian population
The Israeli occupation also lost no time in preventing Palestinians from entering and praying at al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site, during this holy month of Ramadan. On the morning of 2 March, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) forced worshippers from the mosque and its compound, in occupied East Jerusalem. They have been unable to access or pray at the site for four consecutive days now, and it remains closed until further notice.
On the morning of 28 February, just hours after ‘Israel’ and the US first launched their strikes against Iran, the occupation’s authorities forced Palestinians to leave the mosque, citing ‘a state of emergency’. This has happened during the Muslims’ holiest month, Ramadan.
2014 was the first year since 1967 that the Israeli occupation had closed al-Aqsa. But since then, restrictions have tightened significantly for Palestinians. Traditionally, hundreds of thousands of Muslim worshippers gather at al-Aqsa to pray. But in recent years the Israeli occupation has been clamping down on Palestinians’ religious freedom, preventing many from accessing Islam’s third holiest site.
This year, at the beginning of Ramadan, the occupation had already decided to limit the number of Palestinian worshippers at al-Aqsa’s Friday prayers to 10,000. These Palestinians need to obtain a daily permit for each prayer, but only men over 55, women over 50, and children under 12 are eligible. But now, the Israeli occupation is further exploiting ’emergency’ pretexts to advance its control over the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the Palestinians that live there. And this is why Israel completely shuts al-Aqsa mosque and its compound in the face of Muslims.
Judaisation of Jerusalem, while ‘Israel’ aims to make Palestinians invisible — there is also an imposed media blackout
‘Israel’ has also banned thousands of Palestinian citizens of Jerusalem from visiting al-Aqsa, for reasons unknown to them, and issued at least 12 arbitrary ban orders, during and before this Ramadan, against Palestinian journalists. This is to prevent them from reaching al-Aqsa, and censor their coverage of Zionist crimes there. The IOF claim, without any evidence, that they “pose threats to public order”. The occupation has also recently outlawed five digital news sites that cover Jerusalem, in its attempt to control the information flow from the media. Arrests have increased, and authorities have also banned Palestinian residents of Jerusalem from putting up decorations and festive lights for Ramadan. The Zionist regime wants to consolidate control over holy sites in the occupied territory such as al-Aqsa and the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron. It also aims to make Palestinians invisible, hide their culture, heritage and identity, and Judaise Jerusalem. These measures come as the occupation’s police have for the first time, extended the hours of Jewish worshippers at al-Aqsa.
Throughout the occupied West Bank, ‘Israel’ is imposing policies to further its control over the Palestinian population. Its ultimate aim is the same, irrespective of the place. To make life as difficult and uncomfortable as possible for Palestinians, so they give up and leave their land.
Most recently, the Knesset approved new land registration rules that make it easier to steal Palestinian land, and expand illegal settlements. The occupation has also conducted large-scale military raids in the Northern occupied West Bank refugee camps, forcibly displacing all their residents — more than 40,000 people. Violent raids by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) also take place in Palestinian homes throughout the West Bank, on a daily basis, for no reason except to control and intimidate the population.
Israeli occupation continuing to add more roadblocks and checkpoints in the West Bank
After October 2023, the IOF tightened its restrictions on freedom of movement even further in the West Bank. There are now more than 1180 military checkpoints, metal detector gates, earth mounds, and cement blocks which can be used at any time to close a road. Many are permanent. These not only block Palestinian access to villages and towns, sealing off these areas, but also prevent access to services and land. Now, with the Israeli occupation’s attacks on Iran, new checkpoints are being set up throughout the occupied West Bank under the guise of security, while others remain closed, restricting movement even further.
The Israeli occupation frames many of these measures as temporary responses to specific security threats. And it claims that checkpoints, permit systems, and expanded military authority are necessary to prevent attacks and protect civilians. But these ‘temporary’ measures have become entrenched. Restrictions on movement and land access have reshaped daily life for Palestinians. They go way beyond security needs, systematically undermining Palestinian life — limiting movement, access to land, and economic opportunity — while expanding Israeli occupation control over the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
What is called “security” is increasingly a pretext for occupation. Checkpoints, roadblocks, and permit systems fragment communities, make everyday life unpredictable, and entrench the Zionist regime’s control over territory Palestinians claim for a future state.
These measures are not a form of protection, but are tools to tighten control and make the possibility of Palestinian self-determination more remote than ever.
Featured image via TRT