Israel imposes siege Palestinian town, blocks students from sitting exams

The Israeli occupation has continued to impose a siege on the town of Yabad, near the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, for two consecutive days and shut the two nearby military checkpoints.

In addition to sealing off the main entrances to the village so people and goods are unable to enter, the occupation’s soldiers have raided several homes and shops in the town and seized surveillance cameras, reported Wafa news agency.

As a result, the Palestinian Ministry of Education was forced to relocate the university entry exams, scheduled for this morning, to another nearby town for 360 students who live outside Yabad.

According to the head of the Education Directorate in Jenin, Salam Taher, the students were also prevented by the soldiers from any attempts of entering, despite the urgency of the exams.

The Mayor of Yabad, Amjad Atatra, said that after closing all access roads, people were not able to enter or leave the town and students in the town could not leave to sit their exams.

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Last night, Israeli occupation forces attacked Palestinians who came out onto the streets to protest against the closures. Local sources told the Wafa news agency that Israeli soldiers fired bullets, tear gas and sound bombs at Palestinians and their homes. No injuries were reported.

For months, Israeli occupation forces have been escalating their unjust measures against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank including closures, incursions and arrests as part of an ongoing policy of collective punishment.