14/01/2026 – Union for Justice Foundation
Since the beginning of the genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, the West Bank has been living under a suffocating siege. The Israeli occupation forces have reinforced their presence throughout the West Bank by installing hundreds of military checkpoints and iron gates between its cities, towns, and refugee camps. These gates are opened and closed arbitrarily by occupation soldiers, as part of a systematic policy to harass the Palestinian population and break their resolve and steadfastness on their land. Palestinians endure daily suffering when traveling from one place to another, often waiting for hours at checkpoints stretching from Hebron in the south to Jenin in the north.
These measures are part of the collective punishment policy systematically imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities against the Palestinian people, who struggle by all means to live a dignified life amid a deteriorating security and economic situation following October 7, 2023.
The occupation authorities have installed iron gates at key intersections, which serve as the main arteries connecting Palestinian population centers. These gates have become tools of tight control, forcibly redrawing the Palestinian geography and confining Palestinians within choking boundaries that almost cut them off from their surroundings and paralyze their ability to live a normal life.
According to studies conducted by the Union for Justice Foundation, this reality has had a direct impact on all aspects of life. The education sector has been affected by the disruption of students’ and teachers’ access to schools, prompting the Ministry of Education to redistribute staff and increase the number of school buses.
In the health sector, international and local organizations have warned of a serious decline in services due to the reduced operation of health centers and hospitals, in addition to the obstacles facing ambulances, which endanger patients’ lives during transport. Through the foundation’s in-depth documentation of violations against Palestinians, it was reported that the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced on January 22, 2025, the death of Iman Jaradat, a Palestinian woman from Hebron, after Israeli soldiers obstructed her ambulance at the Beit Einoun checkpoint northeast of Hebron.
The repercussions of this policy have also extended to the Palestinian economy, where the financial crisis has deepened and unemployment has surpassed 35%, amid paralyzed commercial movement and restricted access to workplaces. The data indicate that these systematic restrictions aim to suffocate Palestinians and disrupt every aspect of their daily life — in education, health, and the economy alike.
From a legal perspective, the establishment of military checkpoints and iron gates in the occupied Palestinian territories by the Israeli occupation constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and poses an obstacle to the fundamental right of freedom of movement, guaranteed by international law.
Article (12) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) states:
Paragraph 1: “Everyone lawfully within the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence.”
Paragraph 2: “Everyone shall be free to leave any country, including his own.”
Similarly, Article (13) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms:
Paragraph 1: “Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.”
Paragraph 2: “Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.”
Furthermore, Article (27) of the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) on the protection of civilians in time of war stipulates that:
“Protected persons are entitled, in all circumstances, to respect for their persons… and shall be protected especially against all acts of violence or threats thereof. The Parties to the conflict shall respect the rights of civilians to freedom of movement during armed conflict.”
According to the Union for Justice Foundation, citing a report issued by the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission in September 2025, the total number of military checkpoints and iron gates erected by the Israeli army in the West Bank has reached 910, including 83 gates installed since the beginning of 2025, and 247 gates installed after October 7, 2023.
These figures reveal the expansion of Israel’s system of control, designed to fragment Palestinian territories, restrict movement, and entrench a regime of segregation that violates fundamental human rights and the principles of international law.
