Israeli forces lift closure on two roads in Ramallah

Israeli forces yesterday reopened a road between Nablus and Ramallah near the Al-Jalazun refugee camp and the entrance to the village of Abud in the western part of the occupied West Bank district of Ramallah.

The Palestinian liaison department said in a statement that, following efforts conducted by Palestinian officials, Israeli forces opened the road and the entrance to the Abud village after imposing a closure by placing large cement blocks in the area purportedly for “security reasons”.

An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an she would look into reports on the closures. It was unknown what reasons the Israeli army had to conduct the closures.

Last week, Israeli forces also set up several military checkpoints at several main roads leading to Palestinian villages in Ramallah, including Abud, and proceeded to stop Palestinian vehicles and check identity cards of both passengers and pedestrians who attempted to cross.

Earlier in December, Israeli forces closed all entrances to the Abud village, installing checkpoints to prevent cars from entering or leaving the area in the wake of a reported attack near Abud when an Israeli settler was lightly wounded after a gunman opened fire at his vehicle.

The following day, Israeli forces raided four Palestinian villages in the Ramallah and Salfit districts, sealing all entrances and preventing residents from leaving their homes.