New Year And Jewish Holidays: Israel Closes The West Bank And Gaza Strip, Palestinians Are Prohibited From Loging Out

Illustration of Israel's border with Palestine in the West Bank. (Wikimedia Commons/Justin McIntosh)

JAKARTA - Ahead of the three days of Jewish holidays, Israeli authorities will close the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said on Tuesday.

Palestinians will not be allowed to leave the West Bank or Gaza Strip to enter Israel during the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, later this month. As well as during the Yom Kippur and Sukkot holidays in October.

"During the closure, access will be allowed only in humanitarian, medical and extraordinary cases," the Army said.

The closure comes as tensions in the region escalate, after a series of deadly attacks since March.

Since then, Israeli soldiers have stepped up raids on the West Bank, particularly in the Nablus and Jenin regions, where Palestinian armed groups are active.

Operations, which the army says aims to catch people suspected of being 'terrorism,' are often surrounded by clashes with fighters or residents. Dozens of Palestinians, including members of armed groups, have been killed.

On Tuesday, a Palestinian was killed in clashes in the city of Nablus in an operation by the security forces of the Palestinian authorities to arrest members of the Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.