The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has denounced intensified restrictions imposed by the Israeli regime in the southern occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil, describing them as a hurdle to “essential service.”

The ICRC made the remarks in a post on X on Tuesday, as Palestinians continue to live with significant movement restrictions in the “H2” restricted area of the city for more than 20 years.  

“The restrictions of movement in part of al-Khalil’s Old City known as H2 make it difficult, and sometimes impossible for Palestinians to access essential services,” the ICRC said.

It went on to say these restrictions have left an impact on “basic services many need daily to survive,” affecting all aspects of their lives.

This has prompted the ICRC to work with the local community to install solar panels on the rooftops of affected households.

“This helps them generate income by providing power to other residents in the community, and have improved access to electricity,” it said.

Located in the center of al-Khalil, one of the largest cities in the occupied West Bank, the Old City was divided into Palestinian and Israeli-controlled areas, known as H1 and H2, following the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre in 1994.

The Old City of al-Khalil is home to roughly 160,000 Palestinians and about 800 aggressive Israeli settlers who live in compounds heavily guarded by the Israeli occupation forces.

Since Israel launched its genocidal war in Gaza, the regime’s brutal crackdown on the West Bank has also escalated, resulting in near-daily raids into villages and cities across the occupied territory.

Nearly 550 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since early October, when the barbarous campaign in Gaza began.

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