The United States has extended travel restrictions for US government personnel and their families in the West Bank amid attacks following a gunfight near Nablus.
The US Embassy in Jerusalem said heightened security concerns and increasing regional instability had led it to continue temporarily restricting all personal travel by US government employees and their family members into the West Bank through Wednesday.
The embassy’s security alert bars government personnel from entering the territory for personal reasons because of the volatile security environment. The US Department of State also continues to maintain a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory for the West Bank because of the potential for civil unrest, violence and armed conflict.
The State Department also advises private American citizens to avoid travel to the West Bank and urges all US citizens to exercise extreme caution while preparing for spontaneous security incidents, roadblocks and possible transportation disruptions.
The advisory comes as violence has intensified in the West Bank following a gunfight between Palestinians and Israelis on Friday that killed two Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers and four Palestinians.
Settler violence followed over the weekend. Israeli troops entered the village of Qusra after settlers allegedly set fire to a mosque and spray-painted the word “Revenge” in Hebrew. The military said soldiers searched for suspects, but they had fled before troops arrived. Police investigators were later expected to enter the village under military escort to collect evidence.
A second mosque was also torched in the nearby village of Kur, where Hebrew graffiti reading “Jewish blood is not free” was found.
Separately, Israeli security officials are warning that a series of deadly attacks and large-scale confrontations in the West Bank could develop into a broader Palestinian uprising resembling the First Intifada, according to a report published Sunday by Galei Tzahal, the IDF’s official radio station.
The assessment follows several days of Palestinian terror attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF troops. Security officials told Galei Tzahal military correspondent Doron Kadosh that the “fear barrier has broken” among Palestinians in the area and that villagers are increasingly gathering in large numbers to attack Jews passing near their communities.
According to the report, officials are concerned about a widespread popular revolt marked by mass violence, attempts to seize firearms from Israelis and attacks on nearby Jewish communities and agricultural farms rather than a campaign led by organized terrorist cells.
