BETHLEHEM, Sunday, January 06, 2019 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation forces last night sealed off the entrances to the village of Beit Fajjar, to the south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, banning entry and exit of Palestinians into and out of the village, according to witnesses.

In the meantime, the forces locked down with a metal gate a regional road near the town of Sa’ir, to the north of Hebron in southern West Bank, denying access of Palestinian traffic.

The lockdown of the road forced local Palestinians to use alternative, longer roads in order to reach their homes in several villages and towns of the area, Palestinian security sources said.

According to human rights groups, restricting of movement has been one of the main tools that Israel employs to enforce its regime of occupation over the Palestinian population in the Occupied Territories.

“Palestinians’ freedom of movement in the Occupied Territories lies completely at the mercy of the state’s whims, the instructions given to soldiers at the local District Coordination Office, and the way in which they implement them,” B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group, has said in a report.

“This state of affairs forces Palestinians to live in constant uncertainty, making it difficult to perform simple tasks and make plans.”

M.N