Creating a ghost town: Lives in limbo behind Israeli gates and checkpoints

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Israeli checkpoints, iron gates and road closures in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, are making everyday life increasingly difficult for Palestinians, especially in the city’s Old City and the H2 area under Israeli security control. The article centers on residents such as Badr al-Tamimi, a shop owner who says routine travel, work and worship can be delayed for hours by soldiers and temporary closures.

According to the report, Israeli authorities recently installed three iron gates across a short stretch of the Old City, further limiting access to roads used by pedestrians and vehicles. Hebron Mayor Yousef al-Jabari and Palestinian activists quoted by Al Jazeera say the measures are part of a broader pattern of movement restrictions that has intensified since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. The article says the number of checkpoints in Hebron has risen and that many Palestinians in closed zones now face limited access, curfews and expanded restrictions near the Ibrahimi Mosque and nearby settlements.

The report places the current closures in historical context, referring to long-running controls after the 1994 Ibrahimi Mosque massacre, the 1997 Hebron Protocol and restrictions that increased after the second intifada. It also notes that settlers and Israeli soldiers are not subject to the same limitations as Palestinian residents, a point raised by local officials and civil society figures.

The restrictions, Al Jazeera says, are damaging commerce, schooling and access to public life, contributing to a sense among residents that parts of Hebron are being emptied out.