RAMALLAH, February 9, 2016 (WAFA) – Israeli army Tuesday closed a major road that links between Ramallah city, in the central West Bank, and six nearby villages, according to witnesses.

Israeli troops reportedly sealed off a road that connects Ramallah with the nearby villages of Beit Ur a-l-Foqa, Beit Ur at-Tihta, Saffa, Beit Leqia, Kharbatha, and Beit Nuba, sealing it off to Palestinian traffic.

Last week, Israeli forces closed all roads leading to Ramallah and al-Bireh cities for two consecutive days, following an armed attack by a Palestinian policeman at Beit El checkpoint, just northeast of Ramallah, which resulted in the injury of three Israeli soldiers.

In November 2015, Israel’s security cabinet allowed the Israeli army at liberty to seal off Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank without first receiving approval from the government.

A senior Israeli official told Israeli daily Haaretz at the time that military commanders would be authorized to independently implement the total closures while "searching for suspected terrorists."

The military was already carrying out the decision without such approval prior to the cabinet’s meeting, the report added.

To be noted, the Israeli military has frequently sealed hometowns of Palestinians suspected of carrying out fatal attacks on Israelis.

M.N/M.H