Israel closes roads and West Bank crossings into Jerusalem for Yom Kippur - Anadolu Ajansı

Israeli authorities closed several major roads in occupied Jerusalem and most checkpoints linking the West Bank to the city late Sunday as Yom Kippur began, witnesses told Anadolu.

The closures disrupted Palestinian movement between the West Bank and Jerusalem, with witnesses reporting a heavy deployment of Israeli forces and heightened security measures across the city. Some Palestinian residents of Jerusalem were reportedly stranded in the West Bank and unable to return home.

Israel routinely restricts vehicle movement and closes roads during Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, which began Sunday evening and will end Monday evening. The observance is marked by fasting, prayer and the suspension of many daily activities.

The measures come amid increased incursions by Israeli occupiers into Al-Aqsa Mosque under Israeli police protection, with heightened security around the Old City and the mosque. Palestinian and Jordanian officials have warned against attempts to alter the mosque's established temporal and spatial status quo.

The Jewish holiday season began with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, on Sept. 12-13. It continues with Yom Kippur, followed by Sukkot from Sept. 26 to Oct. 2 and Simchat Torah on Oct. 3.