Israel Seals West Bank Town: 'Collective Punishment' Becomes 'Security Measure'?
Israel’s sealing off of Qabatiya after an attack, as reported by The New Arab, is presented as a reactive security measure. But this tactic, which the UN has repeatedly condemned as collective punishment, has been a cornerstone of Israeli occupation since 1967. From the 1980s closure of Gaza to the continuous checkpoints and wall constructions across the West Bank, these actions systematically
fragment Palestinian life. The international community, including US officials who routinely ignore these breaches of humanitarian law, often frames such acts as 'self-defense'—a term seldom applied to Palestinian resistance. This isn't an isolated incident; it's a calculated part of a broader strategy to exert control and suppress dissent. One might wonder, how many times does 'security' need to
be achieved through violating fundamental rights before it's called what it is?