Jocelyn Qassis / April 2026

Khallet Al-Nu’man, a small Palestinian village located east of Bethlehem, has become increasingly isolated in recent years due to movement restrictions, lack of services, and repeated settler attacks.

The village is home to around 150 residents, including approximately 40 children. Although it was annexed by Israel in 1967 into what is considered the municipal area of Jerusalem, its residents were never granted Jerusalem residency status or ID cards. As a result, they remain in a legal and administrative limbo neither fully part of Jerusalem nor able to access services in the West Bank freely.

Increasing Restrictions on Movement

Access to and from the village is tightly controlled. Since the early 1990s, movement restrictions have gradually intensified, isolating residents from both Jerusalem and surrounding Palestinian communities.

This situation worsened significantly after the construction of the separation barrier in 2003 and the establishment of the Mazmoria checkpoint in 2006. Today, entry and exit are subject to strict controls, often making even short trips difficult and unpredictable.

In early 2025, additional gates were installed at the village entrance, allowing Israeli forces to regulate access more closely. Residents report that these gates are sometimes fully closed, raising concerns about the possibility of a complete lockdown.

Settler Presence and Violence

In parallel with these restrictions, residents report an increase in settler activity in and around the village. Settlers are often seen moving freely through the area, including inside the village itself.

According to residents, this presence is frequently accompanied by harassment and, in some cases, physical violence. A recent incident involved an attack on several young men from the village, during which pepper spray was used.

Residents describe these incidents as part of a broader pattern of pressure aimed at pushing them off their land.

Daily Life Under Constraint

The impact of these conditions extends into nearly every aspect of daily life. Residents face ongoing restrictions on bringing goods into the village, including essential items such as cooking gas. Certain food products can only be brought in if they are sourced from Israeli suppliers.

Basic services are also severely limited. Palestinian ambulances and fire services are not permitted to enter the village, leaving residents dependent on Israeli emergency services, which may be delayed.

One resident described a house fire in which the delay in response forced villagers to extinguish the flames themselves, after most of the home’s contents had already been destroyed.

Waste collection services have also been disrupted. For the past two years, Palestinian sanitation services have been prevented from entering the village, requiring residents to transport their own waste to nearby areas.

Lack of Services Despite Municipal Taxes

Despite being included within Jerusalem’s municipal boundaries, residents do not receive basic services from the municipality.

Since 2018, they have been required to pay arnona (municipal tax), yet there is no access to healthcare services, no functioning local clinic, and no adequate infrastructure.

Education has also been affected. Children who previously attended schools in nearby Jerusalem neighborhoods are no longer able to do so and must instead travel to schools in West Bank communities, often facing delays and uncertainty at checkpoints.

A Long-Term Process of Isolation

Before the early 1990s, residents were still able to maintain a relatively normal connection with surrounding areas. However, successive policies including closure regimes, the construction of physical barriers, and administrative restrictions have gradually cut the village off.

Today, Khallet Al-Nu’man stands as an example of how layered restrictions legal, physical, and administrative can reshape daily life over time.

Ongoing Uncertainty

For residents, the current situation is not only about present conditions, but also about what may come next.

The installation of additional gates and the tightening of movement controls have led to growing concerns that access to the village could be further restricted in the future.

For now, residents continue to navigate a reality defined by limited movement, reduced services, and ongoing pressure while remaining in place.