Maj. Gen. Blot Declares Taybeh a Closed Military Zone and Faces Harsh Claims from Left-Wing Elements

Maj. Gen. Avi Blot declared Taybeh a closed military zone due to far-right activity. Left-wing elements claim that settlers exploited the order to harm a Palestinian family, and that police and the IDF did not intervene.

Maj. Gen. Avi Blot, commander of the Central Command, signed an order yesterday (Monday) declaring the town of Taybeh, near Ramallah, a closed military zone. The reason for the order is the inability of the IDF, Shin Bet, and police to act against far-right activists who frequent the town and carry out actions against its residents. The order aims to enable security forces to act against these activists. However, Israeli left-wing elements and Palestinian reports claim that two settlers exploited the order, which prevents the presence of Israeli protectors in the area, to break into the residential compound of a Palestinian family with a goat herd, vandalize property, disconnect the electricity system, and empty the family's water tank. According to the claims, activists called the police in the name of the family's mother, but police and IDF forces did not arrive at the scene and did not prevent the damage or arrest suspects. The article does not include an official response from the IDF or the police.