Unjust Confinement: West Bank Palestinians Endure Collective Punishment for Innocent Actions

Palestinian educator Tarik Betar described a life of oppression and humiliation to CNN due to the Israeli military's restrictions, checkpoints, and curfews in the 1990s in Hebron, West Bank. These limitations have left him unable to even walk across his street. This situation became even more suffocating after Hamas militants from Gaza attacked Israel, leading to further restrictions. According to Israeli human rights group BTselem, thousands of Palestinians in Israeli-controlled areas of Hebron have been effectively confined to their homes by the IDF since October 7th. Betar, 47, who works at a local polytechnic college, is just one of many affected by this.

A strict curfew was enforced in the neighborhoods surrounding Hebron's old city, prohibiting Palestinians from leaving their homes, as reported by BTselem and local residents. Two weeks later, the curfew was partially lifted, with Palestinians permitted to venture out of the area between 8 and 9 a.m. and return between 4 and 5 p.m. on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, according to Betar.

Residents and activists have voiced concerns about food shortages, adults being unable to work, fear of threats from settlers for opening windows or allowing children onto the streets, and being obstructed by numerous checkpoints when attempting to return home before curfew.

One of Hebron's old city's many checkpoints is photographed on November 17.

When Betar's wife became ill and had difficulty breathing last week, the curfew prevented them from going to see a doctor, so they had to call an ambulance. "I couldn't even open the door or window... I called for an ambulance, and they arrived two hours and 57 minutes later," he explained, stating that the medics had to obtain Israeli permission to enter the area and pass through multiple checkpoints to reach his home.

According to BTselem, the "blanket movement ban" is considered a form of "collective punishment" imposed on Palestinians. BTselem spokesperson Dror Sadot stated that this imposes unnecessary and extreme limitations on civilians, disrupting their daily lives without reason. The IDF has justified the ban by citing a significant increase in terrorist attacks in the West Bank, and claims to be conducting nightly counterterrorism operations to apprehend suspects, some linked to the Hamas terrorist organization.

The IDF's recent statement did not explicitly mention the curfew, but it did announce the implementation of dynamic checkpoints in various locations as part of security operations in the area. The IDF emphasized its mission to safeguard all residents and prevent acts of terrorism and threats to the citizens of Israel.

Tarik Betar's home is seen in the old city of Hebron on November 17.

Tara John/CNN

Increased separation

The West Bank has been under Israeli occupation since the territory was captured from Jordan in 1967. Although Israel has agreed to transfer some control to the Palestinian Authority, it has continued to expand its settlements in the area, which is considered illegal under international law. This encroachment on land designated for a future Palestinian state is a source of contention between Israel and the international community. While Israel sees the West Bank as disputed territory and justifies its settlement policy as legal, Palestinians and others disagree.

The West Bank has experienced an increase in settler attacks this year, with one such incident described by an Israeli military commander as a "pogrom." This has raised concerns among United States officials, leading President Joe Biden to state that the US is ready to enforce visa bans against "extremists attacking civilians in the West Bank," as reported in a Washington Post op-ed.

The situation in Hebron is particularly complex even by West Bank standards. This predominantly Palestinian city contains Israeli settlements located in its center, resulting in both physical and legal segregation between the hundreds of Jewish settlers and the thousands of Palestinians living in the vicinity of the old city.

Betars residence is just meters away from one of the West Banks most revered and disputed sites, revered by Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs and by Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque. Due to this proximity, Betar is unable to turn right when leaving his home.

People pray on the exterior wall of the Cave of the Patriarchs on November 17 in Hebron, West Bank.

Tara John/CNN

After a 1994 massacre in the Ibrahimi Mosque, the neighborhood began to experience a decline, as reported by residents. Israel's policy of separation in the area, as noted in a 2019 United Nations report, became more stringent following the second Palestinian intifada from 2000 to 2005 and the rise in Jewish settler-Palestinian violence. This led to the introduction of new checkpoints, restrictions on Palestinian movement, and the closure of shops.

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Palestinians are being forced out of their homes in the West Bank due to escalating violence. The old city has become a maze of restrictions and limitations for the Palestinian residents. BTselem's map and conversations with locals reveal that areas near Israeli settlements and the Jewish side of the Cave of Patriarchs have been completely off-limits to Palestinians for many years.

According to BTselems spokesperson Sadot, the Palestinian population in the area has dwindled to an estimated 33,000 people, and there are concerns among activists that restrictions are being used as a pretext to force Palestinians out completely. Sadot noted that the post-October 7 restrictions are taking place within a political context, as Israel recently gained its most right-wing government in history, with ministers like Itamar Ben Gvir supporting the annexation of the West Bank. Ben Gvir himself resides in Kiryat Arba, a settlement near Hebron.

An unannounced war

"I'm concerned that more people will depart," expressed Hisham Sharibati, a human rights activist residing outside Hebron's old city, in an interview with CNN. He recalled the previous implementation of a curfew during the second Palestinian intifada, which resulted in numerous shop owners leaving the area. "Now we are facing another curfew - it poses a significant risk."

Palestinian movement restrictions sharply contrast with the freedoms granted to roughly 700 hardline Jewish settlers living in parts of the old city, who are free to move with military protection. They are also accused of acting with impunity and violent behavior toward Palestinians and their property. Palestinian human rights activist Issa Amro, living in the area and advocating against Israeli occupation, claims that Israeli soldiers and settlers detained him for 10 hours on October 7 and physically abused him, sharing pictures with CNN of his swollen and cut wrists, which he says were caused by plastic zip-ties.

According to his attorney Michael Sfard, activists were sent to locate him, and a lawyer contacted the army to determine his location. Since being released, Amro has remained barricaded in his house out of fear of violence from soldiers and settlers. He claims they tried to evict him the week of October 20, and Sfard stated, "There is an unannounced war in the West Bank."

Issa Amro is seen in the garden of his house in Hebron.

Issa Amro's home in Tel-Rumaida was near a hill where Yishai Fleisher, the international spokesperson for the Jewish Community of Hebron, approached CNN's team with a rifle slung over his shoulder. Fleisher acknowledged that Amro had been detained but claimed that he had been held by IDF soldiers.

The West Bank boasts a rich Jewish history spanning thousands of years, with numerous holy sites that are deeply significant to the Jewish faith. Some religious-national settlers, such as those in Hebron, firmly believe that these sites have always been an inseparable part of the Land of Israel, as promised to the Jewish people in the Old Testament. This belief leads them to advocate for Israeli sovereignty over Hebron, asserting that it is an integral part of Jewish history. According to Peace Now, an Israeli organization that promotes peace and monitors settlements, there are currently around 500,000 Jewish settlers residing in the West Bank. Many of these settlements are heavily guarded and inaccessible to Palestinians, enclosed by fencing and strict security measures.

A ghost town

Israel has faced criticism from the international community for the expansion of these settlements, which are widely deemed illegal under international law. In some instances, Israel has provided support for the settlements through tax breaks and state-funded security, further fueling the controversy surrounding their presence.

The Israeli-controlled area resembles an uninhabited town. When CNN visited the deserted and heavily guarded old city last week, signs of life were scarce, limited to the Israeli soldiers, a handful of reservists, settlers, and their children. Later in the evening, a Muslim family passed by a guard post. The market streets and thoroughfares, once bustling, now stand empty. Apartment windows are closed and covered in metal grates, and a decomposing dead cat lies on the road.

Ahmad, a Palestinian resident who chose not to disclose his last name for safety reasons, mentioned that his family relocated to the area when he was seven years old. At that time, it was already too risky for Palestinian kids to play outdoors, he explained, saying, "It was not a childhood."

A view of the city of Hebron from the old city on November 17.

Tara John/CNN

During normal times, the risk of settler attacks was already high, but now his family is too frightened to venture outside their home, he explained. "It's extremely perilous; the settlers harbor a strong animosity towards us," he stated.

The curfew imposed after October 7 prevented him from working until November, leading to a depletion of his savings, he shared. As a result, he now resides with family members in the Palestinian-controlled part of Hebron during the week, in order to work as a barista and provide food for his family when the checkpoints open on Sunday.

Israeli soldiers stationed along the road between the West Bank cities of Nablus and Tulkarem.

Wahaj Bani Moufleh/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images

West Bank Palestinians face increasing restrictions and settler violence as Gaza war escalates

“He informed CNN that collective punishment is being carried out. Although Gaza is receiving well-deserved media attention, the world is unaware of the actions of the settlers and the IDF,” he stated. Betar has lived in the same home for generations and is determined not to leave, but the events of the past month have pushed him to his limits.

With no yard, he fenced the roof for his children to play, but soldiers have now confined them to the house due to Hamas attacks. "Their lives now consist of eating, going to the bathroom, and studying on Zoom," he told CNN. "Our small home offers no space for play or freedom to walk."

Now, it takes him hours to complete a basic trip to the supermarket because he has to pass through three checkpoints within specific time limitations. He could simply walk across the road from his home to the café and souvenir shop, but because the road is closed to Palestinians, Betar is not permitted to enter. In contrast, visitors, settlers, and soldiers have unrestricted access to the café.