RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestine on Friday accused Israel of implementing a “de facto annexation” of the occupied West Bank through the use of hundreds of military checkpoints, effectively dividing the territory and undermining prospects for a two-state solution.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry condemned the “collective punishment” imposed on Palestinians through the proliferation of checkpoints and iron gates across cities, towns, and governorates in the West Bank.

“These checkpoints operate as an apartheid system, turning the occupied West Bank into isolated cantons,” the ministry said, adding that many gates are opened only during limited hours and remain guarded by Israeli soldiers, further hindering Palestinian movement.

The ministry noted that these measures are part of a larger plan to implement “spatial division” of the West Bank, facilitating the expansion of Israeli settlements, the isolation of Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings, and the annexation of vast swathes of land.

Palestinians are forced to use rugged, time-consuming routes inaccessible to regular vehicles, while illegal settlers enjoy exclusive access to main roads, the statement added.

The ministry pledged to continue efforts to expose Israeli violations and called on the international community to end its “double standards” on Palestinian rights.

It urged immediate intervention to halt the campaign of “ethnic cleansing” and annexation in the West Bank.

The number of permanent and temporary checkpoints, including iron gates and military barriers, dividing the Palestinian territories and restricting the movement of individuals and goods, stands at 872.

Notably, 156 iron gates have been installed since last October, according to data from Palestine’s Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, a government agency.

Tension has been running high across the occupied West Bank due to Israel’s deadly war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 43,700 people, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.

Over 783 Palestinians have since been killed and over 6,300 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

The escalation follows a landmark opinion in July by the International Court of Justice that declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio​​​​​​​