Israel continues blockade on Palestinian town for fourth day

Israeli forces are continuing their strict siege on the town of Deir Abu Mish’al, west of occupied Ramallah, for the fourth day in a row following a stabbing attack by three residents of the town which led to killing an Israeli policewoman in Jerusalem on Friday.

Imad Zahran, head of the town council, said the Israeli military forces continue to close the town’s entrances with concrete blocks, leaving Palestinian vehicles unable to leave or enter the town. “The residents are not allowed to use their cars to move to and from the town.”

In an interview with Quds Press, Zahran said Israeli soldiers harass Palestinians in the town and subject them to field investigations. Soldiers also regularly raid the homes of residents in the middle of the night, he explained.

Read: Israeli forces assault, detain 2 children on their way home from school

The continued siege on the town negatively affects the residents especially during the month of Ramadan and leading up to Eid Al-Fitr, Zahran said, adding that “the blockade is a form of collective punishment”.

Palestinian authorities have been facilitating the movement of students to nearby communities to sit their final year exams, he explained.