Brief
Road closures in West Bank delay ambulance, claim mother died
An Israeli‑run gate blocked an ambulance from reaching a hospital, a family says, after a mother collapsed during a wedding reception.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Mohammed Abu Hijleh says his 66‑year‑old mother, Zahriya, collapsed at a wedding in Deir Istiya on 20 September and died after a delayed transfer to a hospital. The delay was caused by an iron gate operated by Israeli forces that was closed, preventing an ambulance from entering the town. An ambulance from the medical centre had to carry the stretcher past the gate on foot to a second ambulance on the other side.
The incident occurs amid a week‑long military closure of the West Bank from 27 September to 3 October for the Jewish festival of Sukkot. The closure, which includes checkpoints and iron gates, has been criticised for disrupting daily life and endangering the sick.
Abu Hijleh told Al Jazeera that his mother had no prior health issues other than diabetes, and that she died of a pulmonary embolism after the delay. He said, “My mother was breathing her last; had the gate been open, we wouldn’t have lost her on the way.”
Israel’s policy of closing towns and villages in the West Bank has been described by B’Tselem as part of a broader strategy to dismantle Palestinian society. The group notes that the current government has intensified movement restrictions since 2022, especially after the Gaza war.
Key facts
- Zahriya Abu Hijleh collapsed at a wedding in Deir Istiya on 20 September (aljazeera.com)
- An ambulance could not enter Deir Istiya because an iron gate operated by Israeli forces was closed (aljazeera.com)
- The mother was transferred on foot past the gate to a second ambulance (aljazeera.com)
- The West Bank was under a military closure from 27 September to 3 October for Sukkot (aljazeera.com)
- Zahriya died of a pulmonary embolism after the delay (aljazeera.com)
Background
B’Tselem reports that Israeli checkpoints and closures are part of a systematic strategy to dismantle Palestinian life in the West Bank.
Why it matters
The incident illustrates how movement restrictions can directly endanger Palestinian civilians’ health and lives.
What happens next
No official response from Israeli authorities has been reported.
Sources
- [1] aljazeera.com — originally reported as “Israel’s West Bank road closures turn routine journeys into long ordeals”
