Israel will close checkpoints across the entire West Bank on October 5 and October 7, 2026, as the country marks the third anniversary of the Hamas attack that killed and brutalized Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023. The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem issued a security alert confirming the closures.
According to the embassy notice, the closures mean there is no regular entry into Israel during those dates except for strictly medical and humanitarian reasons. Jerusalem ID holders can still travel freely, but Arbel permit holders will not be able to cross checkpoints, with exceptions considered only for medical or humanitarian cases.
The embassy’s notice does not explain why October 6 was left out of the closure window.
This is not the first such shutdown in recent weeks. The same checkpoints were closed from September 27 through Saturday, October 3, with entry into Israel similarly limited to medical and humanitarian cases during that stretch.
The closures were reportedly ordered by Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, acting on recommendations from the Israel Defense Forces. Katz’s order reportedly extends to checkpoints on the Gaza Strip as well, also for October 5 and October 7.
The U.S. Embassy says it will share further information if there are any significant changes to the policy, and has framed the alert as information for Americans in the region to use in their own security planning.
No specific threat has been publicly cited in connection with either round of closures. Israel has continued, in the years since the attack, to track down individuals who took part in the October 7 atrocities.
