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RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces on Monday punitively sealed off a Palestinian village in the central occupied West Bank, reportedly in retaliation for continuous stone-throwing by youth from the area.

Locals in the Ramallah-area village of Deir Nitham told Ma’an that Israeli forces closed the main entrances to the village, preventing anyone from going in or out.

The Israeli army said in a statement that the closure was due to continuous rock-throwing by youths of the village at Israeli settlers' vehicles passing by on a main road.

Israeli forces stopped searched residents of Deir Nitham, reportedly warning them that they will be raiding the village daily “in order to protect settlers.”

Israel often enforces punitive measures, including closures, raids, and permit revocations, on entire Palestinian towns and villages for things such as stone throwing and alleged attacks on Israeli forces.
Rights groups have condemned such practices as “collective punishment.”