Israel lifts West Bank, Gaza closure after calm first day of Passover

The Israeli military lifted a closure on border crossings with the West Bank and Gaza Strip imposed at the start of the Passover holiday, at just after midnight between Saturday and Sunday, officials said.

The West Bank and Gaza closure began at 4 p.m. Friday and security officials had agreed to convene Saturday evening to decide whether or not to extend the closure for the entire Jewish festival. Passover began Friday evening and ends a week later.

Border crossings in the northern West Bank — which were closed completely a week ago due to recent attacks committed by terrorists from the Jenin area — also reopened earlier Saturday for Israeli Arabs to enter.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s office announced the decision to open the crossings, following a situational assessment he held with top military and defense officials.

“The defense minister decided, at the recommendation of the security bodies, that no closure will be imposed on Judea and Samaria during Hol Hamoed [the intermediate days of the Passover festival] and that situational assessments will continue to take place, in accordance with developments,” his office said.

The closure, standard practice during festivals and holidays, comes amid increased tensions around the convergence of the Passover, Ramadan and Easter holidays that have set the region on edge. This follows weeks that have seen an uptick in West Bank clashes as Israeli forces have attempted to crack down on Palestinian terror following a rash of deadly attacks.

The military said the closures were a preventative measure against attacks in periods of increased tension. But during the holiday of Purim in March, the military skipped the usual closure for the first time in five years.

Also during Saturday’s assessment, which took place via a phone call, Gantz “expressed his appreciation for all the security forces’ precise and extensive activities over the weekend, in all areas,” his office said.

“The defense minister also noted that Israel will continue to act in a focused manner against terror and stop anyone who seeks to violate public order. At the same time, the defense minister emphasized the importance of continuing to preserve freedom of worship and the economy,” it added.

Friday saw violent clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City, during which over 158 Palestinians were hurt and 470 were arrested. Most were released by Saturday evening.

Ramadan is typically a period of high tension, as tens of thousands of worshipers, including many West Bank Palestinians, attend services at Al-Aqsa Mosque, which sits atop the Temple Mount complex. The site is Judaism’s holiest place, and the mosque is Islam’s third-holiest.

The site is the emotional epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and tensions there can easily snowball into wider conflagrations. Hamas and other Gaza-based terror groups have repeatedly invoked the flashpoint holy site as a red line. Police actions to quell riots there last year helped trigger the 11-day war in Gaza in May.

In addition to the holiday friction, Israeli troops have been carrying out extensive raids in the West Bank following the deadliest outbreak of terror in Israel in years. Though there were no major incidents in the West Bank overnight Friday and on Saturday, a military spokesperson said to The Times of Israel.