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| An Israeli soldier stops a Palestinian driver during a raid at the entrance to the Old City of Nablus in the West Bank, 17 September 2025 (Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images via Reuters) |
Israeli forces have introduced new restrictions requiring Palestinian residents of three occupied West Bank communities to obtain permits to enter their own areas.
The permits, which label the holder as authorised to enter “Israel”, suggest the three communities - located northwest of occupied East Jerusalem - are being treated as part of Israeli territory.
Residents fear the move signals a step towards the de facto annexation of the areas amid ongoing Israeli efforts to assert control over parts of the West Bank.
The affected communities - the villages of Beit Iksa and Nabi Samuil, along with the Khalayleh neighbourhood - have long been subjected to severe Israeli restrictions.
They are surrounded by the Israeli separation wall on one side and military checkpoints on the other.
Under the new system, permits are limited to specific locations and purposes, placing significant constraints on residents' freedom of movement.
Nawal Barakat, a resident of Nabi Samuil, told Middle East Eye that Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories had contacted local families, instructing them to visit the Coordination and Liaison Office in al-Ram, north of Jerusalem, to collect the new permits.
She noted that residents had not applied for the permits, which were issued without their consent.
The cards were orange in colour, indicating they were designated for a specific purpose and not valid for unrestricted entry into Israel.
“We still don't know how far this permit will go,” she said.
“Will we be treated as Israelis, even though we hold Palestinian ID cards? Or will we carry the permits and be confined to our village, isolated from the rest of the world?”
Nabi Samuil has a population of around 350 people, following years of Israeli policies that have steadily displaced residents and forced many to relocate abroad.
The village spans around 3,500 dunams (350 hectares) of land, but only 1,050 remain accessible to residents after Israeli authorities seized the majority under the pretext of archaeological preservation.
“There are no basic services in the village: no schools, no clinics, no institutions - not even a grocery shop,” Barakat said. “We’re forced to travel to neighbouring towns just to buy something as simple as bread.”
Palestinians are also barred from constructing new buildings in the village.
Young couples are unable to build or renovate homes due to Israeli restrictions imposed under the designation of the area as a nature reserve, pushing them to live outside the village.
‘Isolated from everything’
Murad Zayed, Mayor of Beit Iksa, told MEE that residents of the affected communities were notified earlier this month of Israel’s intention to annex the areas and that the distribution of new ID cards had begun.
However, residents of Beit Iksa have yet to receive these cards.
Zayed explained that even before the latest measures, life in Beit Iksa was tightly controlled.
Since 2006, the town has been sealed off by an Israeli military barrier and residents have been subject to prior coordination for nearly every aspect of daily life, including entering and leaving the town.... READ MORE https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-imposes-permits-palestinians-access-their-own-west-bank-villages