Workers stood on stones and earth berms erected by the Israeli army in the Beit Ula industrial zone northwest of Hebron on Sunday, November 15. Fayez al-Amleh, a 63-year-old factory owner, scanned his production lines as business slowed to a crawl.
Production at TB.LOC, which manufactures security and fire-resistant doors, very nearly came to a halt when Israeli forces sealed the entrances to the area with earthen berms and stone barriers on November 4. The restrictions isolated roughly 60 Palestinian businesses from customers and suppliers, putting the livelihoods of 2,500 workers at risk.
Hebron and surrounding areas faced heavy military operations after two Israeli soldiers were killed by suspected Palestinian gunmen at a checkpoint near the city on October 23. Thousands of Palestinians were forced out of their homes during a 10-day siege on Hebron that ended when soldiers left the city on November 2.
The broader siege on Hebron caused losses exceeding 12 million shekels, about 3.8 million dollars, a day, according to Hebron Mayor Yousef al-Jabari. Just days after that blockade lifted, the military sealed the Beit Ula industrial zone.
The closure severely impacted al-Amleh and his 70 employees, forcing him to cut hours or move staff to part-time work, which reduced their take-home pay. Daily sales for his business plummeted from 70,000 shekels, about 21,988 dollars, to between 2,000 and 3,000 shekels, roughly 628 to 942 dollars.
Beit Ula hosts facilities that shape metal, make doors, electrical cabinets, sponge, cardboard and construction materials. Their operations link to a wider network of commercial and service enterprises dependent on the steady movement of goods. Agricultural activities on surrounding land, along with local suppliers, suffered disruption.
Israeli forces also demolished four industrial facilities near the town and established a nearby settlement outpost. Palestinians view these steps as an effort to seize land surrounding the industrial zone and undermine agricultural and economic life.
Al-Amleh said that if the blockade continues, more factories will shut down, harming Beit Ula and nearby towns. He rejected the Israeli allegation that Beit Ula is responsible for workers entering Israel without permits, calling the restrictions collective punishment.
Ayman al-Adam, a worker at the industrial zone for three years, said the blockade threatens the incomes of hundreds of employees. He told reporters that the road closure is closing the doors of livelihood for all workers.
Palestinian Minister of National Economy Mohammad al-Amour stated that Israeli measures targeting West Bank economic facilities amount to a war on the Palestinian economy. About 60 economic facilities and their workers have been isolated from the wider economy.
Mahmoud Allan, head of the North Hebron Chamber of Commerce and Industry, appealed for urgent action to halt the campaign against Palestinian business. He warned that major establishments in the licensed industrial zone will be forced to close if the area is not reopened quickly.
