Israeli forces sealed off Hizma north of Jerusalem, converting homes into military sites, as a Palestinian was killed at a checkpoint south of the city under disputed circumstances.
Israeli occupation forces imposed a tight siege on the town of Hizma, north of occupied Jerusalem, for a second consecutive day, sealing all entrances with earth mounds and isolating the town entirely from its surroundings.
According to Al-Jazeera correspondent Thurwat Shaqra, Israeli forces destroyed vehicles parked along roadsides and repurposed them to establish military checkpoints. Sound bombs and tear gas were fired at residents near several entrances, with such attacks reportedly occurring every time forces entered or withdrew from the town.
Residents, including patients requiring medical care, were barred from leaving Hizma for a second day. As a result, a small number of men were forced to bring water and food to their families from shops located outside the besieged area.
Hizma lies adjacent to a settler-only road and is encircled by four Israeli settlements, in addition to the separation wall. Local officials said the security pretext cited by Israeli forces effectively serves to facilitate settlers’ movement, while Palestinians face severe restrictions on mobility.
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Homes Converted Interrogation Sites
Hizma Mayor Nawfan Salah al-Din said Israeli forces seized multiple homes and converted some into military outposts, while turning at least one into a field interrogation center.
He said several residents were detained during raids, including a pregnant woman, her husband, and another young man. Homes were ransacked, with widespread damage reported.
Residents also filed complaints over stolen cash and gold jewelry during the raids, a pattern Salah al-Din said has repeatedly accompanied Israeli military incursions into Palestinian towns.
He warned that the siege could be a prelude to new settlement schemes aimed at further isolating Hizma from Jerusalem and its surrounding Palestinian areas.
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Palestinian Killed at Checkpoint South of Jerusalem
In a separate incident, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man at the al-Anqaf (Tunnel) checkpoint, south of Jerusalem, near Bethlehem, on Wednesday afternoon.
Israeli army radio and Israeli media claimed the shooting followed an alleged attempted stabbing, asserting that no Israeli soldiers were injured. The Israeli army initially said it had “neutralized” a suspect after receiving a report of an attempted attack.
However, no independent confirmation of the circumstances was immediately available, and Palestinian medical sources initially did not issue a statement.
Later, Palestinian sources identified the slain man as Qusay Maher Halaika, from the town of al-Shuyukh, north of Hebron. Video footage circulated on Palestinian social media showed heavy Israeli military reinforcements at the checkpoint and a wounded individual lying on the ground amid a heightened security alert.
Israeli authorities have not released further details regarding the shooting.
Escalation Across the West Bank
The siege of Hizma and the killing at the checkpoint come amid a broader escalation of Israeli military operations across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, marked by closures, raids, arrests, and the use of lethal force at checkpoints.
Since the start of Israel’s genocide on Gaza on October 7, 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have sharply intensified attacks across the West Bank, including killings, mass arrests, home demolitions, and settlement expansion.
According to official Palestinian figures, at least 1,109 Palestinians have been killed and more than 11,500 injured in the West Bank during this period.
(AJA, PC, AA, QNN, Palestinian Media)
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