UN chief 'deeply concerned' over widespread closures by Israel in occupied West Bank

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "deeply concerned" by escalating violence in the occupied West Bank, widespread Israeli-imposed closures affecting Palestinian communities, his spokesman said on Friday. "We are extremely alarmed by the intensifying violence that we're seeing in the occupied West Bank. Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the widespread closures imposed by Israel's on Palestinian community in the West Bank," Stephane Dujarric told reporters. Dujarric said those closures "severely" restrict Palestinians' freedom of movement, access to basic services, and livelihoods. Guterres is also concerned by the reports of home demolitions and possible displacements of Palestinian residents in Hebron, he added. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday ordered an “immediate closure" of the city of Hebron and ordered security forces to prepare for a “full lockdown” across the West Bank after a gun battle in Hebron. The Israeli army claimed Friday that two soldiers had been killed and three others seriously wounded in a shooting attack in Hebron. Calling on all parties ‘to immediately cease all acts of violence’ Guterres condemns the violence caused by record numbers of attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in 2026, Dujarric said. "He recalls Israel's obligation under international law as the occupying power to protect the Palestinian population from such attacks and to hold perpetrators to account," he added. The UN chief also remains "deeply concerned" about civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip, including children, as well as severe restrictions on humanitarian aid deliveries ahead of the winter season. Dujarric reiterated his urgent call for the protection of civilians. "He calls on all parties to immediately cease all acts of violence, to exercise restraints, and refrain from action that could further inflame tensions," the spokesman added. The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has witnessed an escalation in Israeli military operations and occupier attacks since Israel launched its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023. The attacks have included the killing and arrest of Palestinians, the demolition of homes and other structures, the burning of mosques and vehicles, the destruction of agricultural land, the prevention of farmers from accessing their fields, and the displacement of Palestinian communities, alongside illegal settlement expansion.