Israel bans Palestinian minister from occupied West Bank for 6 months

ANKARA

Israel barred Palestinian Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Ashraf al-Awar from entering the occupied West Bank for six months.

A statement by the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs said that Awar was ordered by the Israeli authorities not to enter the occupied territory for a six-month period.

“The Israeli order prevents the minister from following up on Jerusalem issues with Palestinian institutions in Ramallah and other provinces,” the ministry said.

An official with the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs told Anadolu that the minister was summoned by the Israeli police on Monday morning and handed the order.

The Israeli order, seen by Anadolu, claims that the minister is involved in activities by the Palestinian Authority that “harm Israel’s sovereignty over East Jerusalem and state security.”

The Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs is headquartered in al-Ramm town, north of East Jerusalem.

Israel has issued similar orders against several Palestinian ministers, including Jerusalem Governor Adnan Gheith.

Tension remains high across the occupied West Bank, where at least 954 Palestinians have been killed and over 7,000 injured since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, Palestinian data show.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land illegal and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.