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Scene. Published by Maan News
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RAMALLAH (Ma’an) -- Israeli authorities Friday reopened the entrances to the villages of Rantis and Shuqba west of Ramallah city in the central occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian liaison told Ma’an that following concerted efforts on the Palestinian side, Israeli authorities reopened the entrances after they had been closed off with large dirt mounds, for alleged security-related reasons.

Ramadan al-Masri, the head of Shuqba’s local council, and Muyed Wahdan, head of Rantis’ local council, thanked the Palestinian liaison for conducting the efforts and successfully getting Israeli authorities to reopen the entrances.

An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an she would look into reports on the closures. It remained unclear how long the closures were imposed for before being reopened on Friday.

Israeli forces routinely close roads and entire villages in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, for alleged security purposes. These actions have been widely condemned by rights groups, who have said such measures amount to “collective punishment” and represent a clear violation of international law, while exacerbating hardships in communities by severely restricting the freedom of movement of Palestinians.

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