Israeli forces on Saturday closed a number of roads near the southern West Bank village of Beit Ummar, a day after Israeli officials agreed upon strict security measures in the nearby Gush Etzion settlement bloc. Muhammad Awad, a spokesperson for Beit Ummar's popular committee, told Ma'an that Israeli bulldozers had sealed a number of roads leading from the village to Route 60, which is the West Bank's central road. Awad said the closures would delay the movement of residents entering and leaving the village. It was not clear how long the roads would remain sealed. On Friday, Israeli officials reportedly agreed on strict security measures in Gush Etzion, which lies just north of Beit Ummar, after a deadly shooting inside the illegal settlement bloc killed two Israelis and one Palestinian dead the day before. Israeli news site Ynet reported that the measures could include the temporary restriction of movement of Palestinians in the area, the deployment of extra Israeli forces, and the construction of a "fence" along certain roads. The freedom of movement for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank is already severely restricted by at least 100 permanent military checkpoints, hundreds of physical barriers, and the separation wall. Rights groups have said that the latest restrictions amount to "collective punishment."
