Explore Israel’s West Bank checkpoints, where they are, how they work, and how movement restrictions affect Palestinian workers and daily life.
Mapping Israel’s 300 Checkpoints: Where They Are and How They Work
Israel has tightened restrictions on Palestinian movement across the occupied West Bank, with crossings and access points facing additional closures during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The restrictions come on top of an extensive system of checkpoints, road gates, barriers and other obstacles that already limit movement for millions of Palestinians.
The latest measures have affected access between Palestinian towns and villages, major roads and areas around East Jerusalem. In parts of the Ramallah and el-Bireh governorate, roads and entrances to communities including Turmus Aya, Aboud, Nabi Saleh, Atara and Taybeh have been blocked or restricted. Temporary checkpoints have also been reported in areas including Yabroud, Ein Siniya and Jaba, where vehicles are searched and identification documents checked.
How Many Checkpoints Are There in the West Bank?
There are hundreds of Israeli checkpoints and other movement restrictions across the West Bank. According to the latest UN assessment, 925 movement obstacles were documented as of December 2025, restricting or controlling movement for about 3.4 million Palestinians across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
These obstacles include:
- 89 checkpoints staffed around the clock
- 218 partial checkpoints staffed intermittently
- 232 road gates, including many that are frequently closed
- 114 linear closures, such as earth walls, trenches and road barriers
- 167 earth mounds
- 105 roadblocks
Checkpoints and road gates account for nearly 60 percent of the documented movement obstacles. The UN says at least 459 obstacles affect access between Palestinian towns and villages and major roads, forcing many people to use longer and less direct routes.
Where Are the Main Israeli Checkpoints?
Several major checkpoints play an important role in controlling movement across the West Bank.
Qalandiya checkpoint is a major crossing between Ramallah and East Jerusalem. It has historically been one of the most important routes for Palestinians seeking access to Jerusalem.
Checkpoint 300, also known as the Bethlehem checkpoint, is located between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. It has been an important crossing for Palestinians travelling to East Jerusalem and for workers seeking employment there.
Eyal checkpoint is located near Qalqilya and serves Palestinians from the northern West Bank, including workers travelling toward Israel.
Taybeh checkpoint is south of Tulkarem and is part of the network of crossings affecting movement in the northern West Bank.
Tarqumiyah checkpoint is located near Hebron and is an important crossing for Palestinians travelling between the southern West Bank and Israel.
The locations and operating conditions of these checkpoints can change, with some crossings opening and closing according to military orders, security measures and other restrictions.
How Do Israeli Checkpoints Affect Daily Life?
Movement restrictions can have consequences far beyond simply delaying a journey. Checkpoints and road closures can make it harder for Palestinians to reach workplaces, schools, hospitals, farmland and commercial centres.
The UN has reported that these obstacles funnel traffic onto longer secondary roads and can disrupt access to essential services. In 2025, healthcare access was also affected by checkpoint delays, searches and other restrictions.
The Barrier and its associated permit system add another layer of restrictions. The UN describes the Barrier, together with its gates and permit regime, as the largest single obstacle to Palestinian movement within the West Bank.
How Many Palestinians Work in Israel?
For decades, employment in Israel and Israeli settlements has been an important source of income for many Palestinian workers from the West Bank.
Before October 2023, approximately 160,000 Palestinians from the West Bank were employed in Israel and its settlements. By the second quarter of 2024, that number had fallen sharply to about 27,300, according to Palestinian economic research.
The loss of access to the Israeli labour market contributed to a major increase in unemployment in the West Bank. In the second quarter of 2024, the West Bank unemployment rate reached about 31 percent, compared with 13.4 percent a year earlier.
Why the Checkpoints Matter
Israel says its security measures are connected to security concerns. For Palestinians, however, the extensive checkpoint and barrier system has a direct impact on everyday mobility, employment and access to essential services.
The restrictions have also changed the geography of travel across the West Bank. Roads that once provided direct connections between communities can be blocked by checkpoints, gates, earth mounds or road barriers, forcing residents to take longer routes.
With hundreds of permanent and temporary checkpoints and hundreds of additional road closures and barriers, the West Bank has developed one of the world’s most extensive systems of movement restrictions. Understanding where these checkpoints are and how they operate is essential to understanding how movement, employment, healthcare and daily life are affected across the occupied territory.
