Israel reopens entrance to Hebron village

Israeli authorities reportedly decided to reopen the entrance of the village of Beit Einun in the southern occupied West Bank district of Hebron yesterday.

Palestinian sources told Ma’an that Israeli authorities had decided to reopen the entrance of Beit Einun, leading to the nearby municipalities of Hebron and Sair, due to prevailing calm in the area in past weeks after “efforts” by the Palestinian side.

An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that they would look into the reports.

An entrance to Beit Einun had previously been closed by an iron gate for nearly a year before being reopened for only a day in September. It remained unclear whether the entrance reopened yesterday was the same entrance.

The occupied West Bank has seen an increase in arbitrary military road closures since October 2015, when a wave of unrest first erupted across the West Bank and Israel, leading to periodic blockade of Palestinian villages, towns, checkpoints and entire districts.

Israel’s response to attacks – such as punitive home demolitions, the sealing of entire villages, mass detention campaigns, and withholding the bodies of Palestinians slain while committing attacks – has been condemned by rights groups, who have said the measures amount to “collective punishment” and represent a clear violation of international law.