Palestinians risk lives crossing separation wall to reach Jerusalem

 

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Residents of the occupied West Bank were seen on Sunday, Dec. 28, climbing the separation wall near the Palestinian town of Ram, north of occupied East Jerusalem, risking their lives by taking dangerous routes in an attempt to reach the city of Jerusalem, Anadolu reports.

Such attempts pose life-threatening risks, including the possibility of falling from heights and sustaining severe injuries, as well as the danger of Israeli soldiers opening fire at times.

People in the area say these crossings have been increasing due to worsening economic conditions and limited job opportunities in the West Bank.

Following the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000, Israel began constructing the Separation Wall in 2002, citing “security” reasons, along the boundary between the occupied West Bank and Israel.

As a result of the wall, nearly three million Palestinians in the West Bank are unable to freely access occupied East Jerusalem or Israel.

Israeli forces and illegal settlers have killed at least 1,103 Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, injured nearly 11,000, and detained around 21,000 since October 2023, Palestinian figures showed.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.