The United States has prolonged travel restrictions for American government workers and their family members in the West Bank, following a wave of violence sparked by a deadly confrontation near the city of Nablus.
The US Embassy in Jerusalem issued a statement pointing to elevated security concerns and growing regional instability as the basis for continuing to temporarily prohibit all personal travel by US government personnel and their dependents into the West Bank through Wednesday.
The security alert prevents government employees from entering the territory for non-official purposes due to the unpredictable and dangerous security conditions on the ground. Additionally, the US Department of State continues to uphold a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory for the West Bank, citing risks of civil unrest, violence, and armed conflict.
The State Department is also advising private American citizens to stay away from the West Bank entirely, urging all US nationals to remain highly vigilant and to be prepared for sudden security incidents, roadblocks, and potential disruptions to transportation.
The unrest intensified after a Friday gunfight between Palestinians and Israelis near Nablus that left two Israel Defense Forces soldiers and four Palestinians dead.
Settler violence erupted over the weekend in its wake. Israeli troops moved into the village of Qusra after settlers allegedly set fire to a mosque and spray-painted the word “Revenge” in Hebrew on the premises. The military reported that soldiers searched for the suspects, but those responsible had already fled the area before troops arrived. Police investigators were subsequently expected to enter the village under military protection to gather evidence.
A second mosque was also set ablaze in the nearby village of Kur, where Hebrew graffiti reading “Jewish blood is not free” was discovered at the scene.
In a separate development, Israeli security officials are raising alarms that a string of deadly attacks and large-scale confrontations in the West Bank could escalate into a broader Palestinian uprising similar in nature to the First Intifada. That warning was contained in a report published Sunday by Galei Tzahal, the official radio station of the Israel Defense Forces.
The warning comes after several days of Palestinian terror attacks targeting Israeli civilians and military personnel. Security officials told Galei Tzahal military correspondent Doron Kadosh that the “fear barrier has broken” among Palestinians in the region, and that local residents are increasingly gathering in large groups to attack Israelis passing near their communities.
According to the report, officials are particularly worried about a widespread popular revolt characterized by mass violence, attempts to seize weapons from Israelis, and attacks on nearby Jewish communities and agricultural farms — rather than a coordinated campaign driven by organized terrorist organizations.
