Israel to Impose General Closure on West Bank During Sukkot Holiday

Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Sunday that he has ordered the IDF to impose a general closure on the West Bank during the Sukkot holiday and its intermediate days (Chol HaMoed), following military recommendations. According to Katz's statement, Palestinian laborers will not be permitted to enter Israeli settlements in the West Bank during the closure, and exceptional permits will not be approved.

The IDF typically imposes closures in the region during holidays based on security assessments and directives from the political echelon. For instance, during Sukkot 2023, a general closure was enforced, with passage for humanitarian, medical, and exceptional cases permitted under the approval of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).

The current decision extends the closure to include the intermediate days of the holiday. In past years, the scope of the closure during these periods has been determined by security assessments, and in some years, a full closure was not maintained throughout Chol HaMoed.