"Israel" chokes off West Bank for holidays

‘Israel' faces fresh criticism after tightening its blockade on West Bank residents to celebrate the eight-day holiday of Passover.

Army officials said Tuesday that ‘Israeli' War Minister Ehud Barack had given explicit orders to seal off the occupied Palestinian territories until the festivities end on Saturday April 18th.

"The ‘Israeli' army considers the holiday periods as very sensitive from the point of view of security," a military spokesman said.

Tel Aviv sees a right to seal off occupied Palestinian towns and villages ahead of various Jewish occasions and events -- allegedly to defend its territories against violence.

'Israel's' consistent blockades have cost Palestinians dearly. A recent report says that unemployment and poverty rates in Palestinian territories are among the highest in the world.

The Palestinian National Authority's official statistics agency also reported on April 3 that a steady decline is to be expected in the economies of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

In the four months since ‘Israel's' war on Gaza, which left 70,000 people homeless, Tel Aviv has continued to keep the coastal strip in a comprehensive state of siege, barring necessary humanitarian aid and assistance from reaching the war-hit Palestinians.

The West Bank is the scene of an aggressive ‘Israeli' abduction campaign and increasing ‘Israeli' land-grabbing activities.