Israel Declares Christian Village of Taybeh Closed Military Zone

The Israel Defense Forces declared the West Bank village of Taybeh a closed military zone on August 10, 2026. Central Command chief Avi Bluth issued the order to bar Israelis and foreign nationals who are not residents from entering the village, citing a need to protect the community from increasing violence and attacks by Jewish settlers. The move followed a settler attack on the village the preceding Friday and a pattern of violence that included settlers obstructing firefighters during a large blaze in June.

Taybeh's mayor, Suleiman Khouria, criticized the decision, stating the municipality received no official notification. Khouria argued the closure harms the local economy, which relies heavily on tourism, and fails to protect residents as settlers continue to vandalize and graze on village lands. Human rights advocate Ihab Hassan characterized the measure as a step toward ethnic cleansing designed to hide settler violence from international witnesses.

Father Bashar Fawadleh, a Catholic priest in the village, expressed cautious openness to the measure if it stops property destruction, but he appealed to Pope Leo XIV for international intervention to ensure the village's survival. The closure occurs amid a broader surge in regional tension; a United Nations inquiry recently found Israeli authorities were directly involved in settler attacks, while the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission reported 3,488 settler attacks in the first half of 2026.