Tel Aviv - Israel will seal off the West Bank for Palestinian movement early Monday ahead of the first day of the Jewish Sukkot holiday. The closure will be in effect until midnight October 21, according to a security assessment, an Israeli military spokeswoman said.
Sukkot, also known as the Holiday of Tabernacles, lasts seven days.
This time of the year sees several key Jewish holidays, including the Jewish New Year or Rosh Hashana, two weeks ago, and the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur, last week, during which the West Bank was also placed under closure.
The military said in a statement that it will be on "higher alert in order to ensure the safety of the citizens of Israel, while preserving to the best of its ability the daily routine of the Palestinian population."
Palestinians in need of humanitarian assistance and medical aid would be allowed to pass into Israel during the closure, the military said.
