Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian shepherds nr. Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. Also, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. Khan Yunis. In the West Bank, Israeli soldiers on patrol in a village nr. Bethlehem open fire on Palestinian students returning home, injuring 1. IDF troops raid a PA-run charity in Tulkarm and a university in Jenin, destroying and confiscating equipment, and conduct further raids and house searches in and around Jenin, Bethlehem, and Tulkarm, arresting 8 Palestinians. Israeli forces begin razing 40 dunams (around 9.8 acres) of Palestinian land nr. Hebron; destroy 3 residential structures and a number of health facilities, tents, and an animal barn nr. Hebron. Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian man nr. Nablus with sticks and stones, inflicting moderate injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a store in Jabal Mukabir and a small mobile home in Bayt Hanina, and arrest 17 Palestinians during raids in the Old City. Also, a Palestinian shopkeeper demolishes his own store in Jabal Mukabir after Israeli forces surround it (he says he carried out the demolition himself because he did not want them to damage the adjacent store). Meanwhile, the Israeli authorities bar all Palestinian men under the age of 50 from entering Haram al-Sharif today, ahead of the Jewish Purim holiday on 3/24. Later, they close al-Aqsa Mosque after detaining 17 Palestinians attempting to enter the sanctuary. (MNA, WAFA 3/22; MNA 3/23; PCHR 3/24)
Israel’s political leadership decides to bar West Bank Palestinians from entering or exiting Israel, except in humanitarian cases, during the Jewish Purim festivities. The ban begins late tonight and extends through midnight on 3/26 local time. In recent years, the Israeli govt. has not imposed a ban on Palestinian movement during Purim. (TOI 3/22; HA, JP 3/23)
The PA cabinet decides to ban the products of 5 Israeli food companies—Tnuva, Strauss, Tara, Soglowek, and Tapuzina—from entering the West Bank in response to Israel’s 3/9 order to ban 5 Palestinian food companies from distributing their products in East Jerusalem. Although the order is effective today, it will take some time for the Israeli products to be cleared from shelves. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 3/22)