Israel bars Palestinian workers from settlements after deadly West Bank violence
Mass arrests and sweeping restrictions follow settler attacks that killed four Palestinians, deepening concerns over collective punishment in occupied territory
NABLUS, West Bank (MNTV) — Israel has barred Palestinian workers from entering Israeli settlements across the occupied West Bank following the latest deadly violence near Nablus, in which settlers killed 4 Palestinians followed by intensification of military operations and mass arrests across Palestinian communities.
According to Israeli media, the order was issued by Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth after a series of violent incidents in the occupied territory.
The ban prevents Palestinians from working inside Israeli settlements, although limited exceptions may be granted for industrial zones and construction sites if requested by settlement authorities.
The measure came a day after armed Israeli settlers, accompanied by Israeli troops, entered the Palestinian village of Tell near Nablus, where four Palestinians and two Israelis were killed after settlers attacked Palestinians.
Witnesses said settlers opened fire after storming the village, while Israeli forces also fired on residents attempting to defend their homes.
The violence was followed by retaliatory settler attacks on nearby Palestinian communities, including the torching of two mosques and the burning of Palestinian property.
Following the incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a wide-ranging military operation across the occupied West Bank, while Israeli forces surrounded Nablus, imposed tighter restrictions and launched large-scale arrest raids.
Israeli authorities said more than 70 Palestinians were arrested overnight during military operations across the West Bank, claiming they were suspected of security-related offenses.
Rights organizations, however, have repeatedly accused Israel of using sweeping raids and mass detentions against Palestinians following confrontations involving settlers, often without due process.
Israeli media also reported several separate confrontations over the past two days involving Palestinians and Israeli settlers or soldiers near settlements in the northern and southern West Bank.
In one incident near Elon Moreh, two Palestinians were shot dead after allegedly attacking an armed Israeli settler.
In another confrontation near Ganim, Israeli forces fatally shot a Palestinian with zero probable consequences of accountability.
On Saturday, Israeli forces launched another large search operation near Susiya after a Palestinian reportedly seized a weapon during a clash involving stone-throwing.
The latest restrictions have intensified criticism of Israel’s policies in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinians face expanding military raids, checkpoints, settlement expansion and increasing violence by armed settlers.
Human rights groups argue that measures such as blanket employment bans and mass arrests punish entire communities rather than individuals, while Israeli authorities continue to expand illegal settlements widely regarded as violations of international law.
The crackdown comes amid one of the most volatile periods in the occupied West Bank in recent years, with Palestinian communities facing escalating military operations and settler violence as Israel further tightens its control over the territory.
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