Settlers erect an iron gate to isolate the Wadi al-Qelt area west of Jericho

The western area of Jericho witnessed a new field escalation this Wednesday morning, as groups of settlers erected an iron gate in the middle of a vital road used daily by Palestinian citizens. This provocative step comes in the context of attempts to impose a new settlement reality and reduce the Palestinian presence in vital pastoral and archaeological areas east of the occupied West Bank.

Local sources and eyewitnesses confirmed that the settlers installed the iron gate on the road leading to 'Wadi al-Qelt', specifically in the 'Al-Murashahat' area. Sources indicated that this point is highly sensitive due to its close proximity to citizens' homes, with only about 300 meters separating them, which places residents under direct siege.

This targeted road is considered a crucial and indispensable artery, as it connects the residential communities in the Al-Murashahat area with the historic Deir Wadi al-Qelt and the famous 'Ain al-Qelt' spring. The road also extends to form a strategic link connecting the mountainous and agricultural area to the Jericho-Jerusalem main road, which makes its closure tantamount to severing the entire region's connections.

Activists and field observers warned of the serious repercussions of this measure, stressing that it aims to prevent farmers and herders from accessing natural pastures and vital water sources at the spring. Observers believe that these practices fall within a systematic policy to forcibly displace Palestinians by restricting livelihoods and preventing them from moving freely in their historical lands.

For their part, human rights activists emphasized that this violation is part of the 'spatial isolation' policy pursued by settlement groups to transform public roads into private passages under their control. This development threatens to impose a bitter reality on Palestinian families who now face the risk of insecurity and difficulty of movement, which may push them to forced displacement as a result of increasing pressures.

This measure directly aims to restrict residents' access to natural water sources and deprive livestock breeders of pastures.