JERUSALEM, December 7, 2025 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation authorities have extended the closure of the main road leading to the Bedouin community of Al-Muntar in the Al-Sawahreh desert, southeast of Jerusalem, until July 1, 2026, according to local sources.
The road has been closed since October 7, 2023, under the pretext of “security reasons,” exacerbating the suffering of around fifty families living in the area.
The Jerusalem Governorate said in a statement on Sunday that the Israeli military order keeps the main road connecting Al-Sawahreh al-Sharqiya town to the community fully blocked. Residents are forced to use long detour routes passing between the Ma’ale Adumim and Kedar colonies, exposing them to daily attacks and harassment by colonists.
Under these restrictions, local residents must travel significantly longer distances to reach work and essential services, while Israeli authorities continue issuing fines and imposing strict vehicle restrictions, causing near-total disruption to daily life in the community.
Community members said these measures are part of a deliberate policy to pressure them into leaving the area. Since October 2023, they have faced repeated colonist attacks, seizure of vehicles, arbitrary fines, and other measures aimed at forcibly displacing them to expand Israeli colonial settlements in the Jerusalem desert.