New West Bank entry rules further isolate Palestinians: HRW

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The Israeli occupation government's new entry restrictions for foreigners in the occupied West Bank facilitate further isolation of Palestinians from the global society, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday.

In a report, HRW said the occupation government’s guidelines, published on February 20, 2022, and amended in December 2022, encompass heavy restrictions on foreign visitors who want to enter the occupied West Bank.

Restricted access prevents local Palestinians from interacting not only with foreigners but also with family members lacking a "special ID card," the organization noted.

"By making it harder for people to spend time in the West Bank, Israel is taking yet another step toward turning the West Bank into another Gaza, where two million Palestinians have lived virtually sealed off from the outside world for over 15 years," Eric Goldstein, HRW Deputy Middle East Director warned.

Goldstein indicated that this policy "is designed to weaken the social, cultural, and intellectual ties that Palestinians have tried to maintain with the outside world."

It is noteworthy that on December 17, the United Nations deemed 2022 the deadliest year for the occupied West Bank as Israeli aggression brutally murdered 150 Palestinians throughout the year according to the organization.

During the same year, Israeli occupation forces also detained more than 3,000 Palestinian in the West Bank.

In a new report, the #UN called 2022 the deadliest year for the occupied #WestBank as Israeli aggression brutally murdered 150 #Palestinians throughout the year according to the organization.#Palestine pic.twitter.com/GWVKNZbPNq

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) December 18, 2022

Read more: Israeli occupation arrested 7,000 people in 2022: Report