The Israeli military announced early on 25 October 2026 that the government had approved its recommendation to impose a general closure across the West Bank on Israel's election day, effectively banning the movement of Palestinian workers and closing all land crossings.
The statement from the Israeli military said the measures would apply on Tuesday, Israel's Election Day, and comprised a ban on the movement of Palestinian labour between West Bank areas and Israel and the closure of all land crossings. The military framed the action as an order it recommended and the government approved.
“the entry and exit of Palestinian workers”
— the Israeli military, 25 October 2026 (translation of the military announcement)
What the order contains
- Ban on entry and exit of Palestinian workers throughout the West Bank, as announced by the Israeli military.
- Closure of all land crossings on Tuesday, described by the military as Israel's Election Day measure.
- The measure was presented as a government-approved recommendation from the military; no timetable for reopening was included in the statement.
The military's announcement did not include further operational details such as whether exceptions would be made for humanitarian cases, medical permits, or for foreign nationals. The closing of land crossings and the ban on workers' movement are security measures that the military is using in the context of heightened tensions around the Israeli election.
Context and immediate implications
Israel has in recent weeks increased security measures around elections and under conditions of ongoing violence in the occupied West Bank. The military framed the ban and the crossings closure as a precautionary step for Election Day. The announcement did not include an assessment of how many people would be affected or how long the restrictions would remain in force.
| Date (IST) | Action |
|---|---|
| 25 October 2026, 03:39 am | Israeli military statement: government approved recommendation for West Bank closure on Election Day |
| Tuesday (Election Day) | Ban on entry and exit of Palestinian workers; all land crossings closed |
The military's move follows a period of intensified operations and civil restrictions in the West Bank. Israeli authorities have previously used closures and limits on movement as security measures around high-risk dates. The statement stopped short of providing operational details such as which crossings would be closed or how the closure would be policed.
No comment from Palestinian authorities was included in the military announcement; the Palestinian civilian leadership often condemns closures and movement restrictions as collective measures affecting civilians, but that response was not part of the military's release cited here.
The announcement was posted early on Sunday by the Israeli military and attributed to a government approval of the military's recommendation. The military's wording identified the measures as aimed at restricting the movement of Palestinian workers and securing land crossings during the election period.
