This morning, the zionist colony army announced a total lockdown of the occupied West Bank, deploying massive reinforcements across Palestinian towns, placing them under siege “until further notice.” All Palestinian cities have been sealed off, and Israeli forces closed Al-Aqsa Mosque, preventing Palestinians from performing Friday prayers.

This is one of the several preventative measures agreed upon during a security cabinet meeting between Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Police Chief Danny Levy, following the overnight aerial attack on Iran. Israeli media reported that Levy is planning to hold regular security assessments with Ben Gvir as events develop and tensions mount along the borders. Meanwhile, a newly formed 96th Division is now positioned at Jordan Valley – earlier than anticipated. Israeli media stated that this division, also known as the Gilad Division, was initially supposed to be deployed on August 1st, underscoring the rapid pace of Israeli military and political escalations.

In parallel, the Israeli army carried out a 30-hour large-scale military operation in Nablus earlier this week, killing at least 24 Palestinians and injuring 200 others. These assaults coincide with the growing and renewed calls from Israeli cabinet ministers and coalition lawmakers to deepen the occupation. At a youth conference on Thursday, held by the ultranationalist Sovereignty Movement in what the zionist entity calls “Sderot,” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, and Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu openly advocated for the expansion of settlements, with Eliyahu suggesting that “Israeli sovereignty” should extend into Lebanon and Syria.

The full besiegement of the occupied West Bank is yet another indicator of the increasing Israeli political ambitions and accelerating militarization. As Israel intensifies its internal and external operations, particularly in the wake of the Al-Aqsa Flood, its policies continue to deepen the occupation and fuel tensions that stretch across the region under the guise of “self-defense” and “security.”

Al Akhbar