10/08/2026
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10/08/2026
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RAMALLAH, Aug 10: The mayor of the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank has warned that Israel’s decision to declare the area a “closed military zone” will damage residents’ livelihoods and further restrict movement.
The Israeli army announced Monday that Taybeh, located near Ramallah, had been designated a closed military zone, barring Israelis and foreigners from entering the village. The decision comes amid growing attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property in the area.
Taybeh Mayor Suleiman Khoury told Anadolu that municipal authorities had not yet been officially informed about the decision or how it would be enforced.
He warned that restricting foreign visitors would have a serious economic impact because Taybeh is an important religious and tourist destination with hotels, restaurants and other businesses that rely heavily on visitors.
“Preventing foreigners from entering Taybeh would harm residents,” Khoury said, noting that tourism provides an important source of income for local families.
The mayor also questioned the Israeli justification for the move, arguing that if the objective was to protect Taybeh’s residents, authorities should instead stop attacks by Israeli settlers.
“Israeli settlers continue attacking, vandalizing and grazing on the village’s land,” he said, arguing that residents should be protected by “stopping settler attacks, not by imposing new restrictions on the village.”
Khoury described the decision as an attempt to “tighten the noose” around residents rather than a genuine security measure.
Taybeh is one of the most prominent Palestinian Christian-majority communities in the West Bank and is known for its religious, historical and cultural significance. The village is home to ancient churches and archaeological sites, with tourism serving as a key component of its local economy.
The Israeli decision came days after Taybeh was attacked by Israeli settlers on Friday.
According to figures from the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, Israeli settlers carried out 3,488 attacks against Palestinians and their property during the first half of this year.
The reported attacks included assaults on Palestinians, the burning of homes, vehicles and other structures, uprooting trees, destruction of agricultural land, preventing farmers from accessing their fields, establishing new settlement outposts and seizing Palestinian land.
Commission figures say about 750,000 Israeli settlers live in 156 settlements and 360 outposts across the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories illegal under international law.
