RAMALLAH, July 3, 2016 (WAFA) – The ministry of foreign affairs Sunday condemned the broad and severe closure that Israeli armed forces continue to impose on Hebron area, after a Palestinian teen from Bani Naim town snuck into an illegal Israeli settlement and stabbed an Israeli teen to death.
According to Haaretz Israeli newspaper, the army cordoned off Hebron and the surrounding villages and towns, imposed major restrictions on movement to and from the Hebron area, and announced a mass revocation of work permits for residents of Bani Na’im, where Ariel’s murderer lived.
The ministry said in a press release that such policies are not new and have no grounds as Israel resorts to these policies and measures on daily basis in an attempt to dampen the current unrest.
Warning against such measures, the ministry said collective punishment will only inflame the situation and push for more escalation and confrontation.
“Collective punishment is a representation of the Israeli government’s political bankruptcy.”
It held the Israeli government full responsibility for the outcome of the army’s arbitrary policies and use of force in dealing with unarmed Palestinians.
The ministry further called upon the international community, world countries, and human rights organizations to move swiftly and pressure Israel to lift its closure and freeze settlements’ activities.
M.H
