JERUSALEM, Saturday, May 9, 2020 (WAFA) – An Israeli army roadblock has for weeks disrupted movement of Palestinian residents of a village northwest of occupied Jerusalem, today said a local official.

Saadeh Khatib, head of the local council in the village of Beit Iksa, told WAFA that the soldiers have set up a roadblock at the entrance to his village since the start of the holy fast month of Ramadan and obstructed movement of people in an out of the village.

He said the army has intensified its measures of recent to even prevent entry of essential food supplies into the village, allowing only a ed amount in.

Beit Iksa is surrounded by illegal Israeli settlements and has lost most of its land to the settlements and the barrier Israel has built since 2004 that cuts it from Jerusalem.

Residents of the village going in and out have to use the only road that is controlled by the army.

Khatib said Israel is trying to confine the village residents to a small area and prevents their expansion.

T.R./M.K.