Haaretz: a holiday closure for Palestinians. The Jerusalem Post: more troops against 'terror attacks'

Same day, two stories. On 27 September, Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post published on the West Bank's holiday security less than an hour apart. They named different actors and counted different people.

Where the dates come from. The only end date in either report comes from the US Embassy, as Haaretz reports it. Neither report quotes the Israeli army or the defence ministry on how long the closure lasts.

Who is counted. The Jerusalem Post gives a figure for Israelis travelling. The estimate comes from the IDF Central Command and the police's Judea and Samaria District. Neither report gives a number for the Palestinians affected.

What is not settled - How many Palestinians the closure affects. Neither report says. - Whether every checkpoint is closed or only some. Haaretz says "West Bank checkpoints" and gives no detail. - The official reason for the order. Haaretz gives none. - Neither report quotes a Palestinian, and neither quotes an Israeli official directly.

What this is about. Israel has closed West Bank checkpoints to Palestinians over a Jewish holiday, and two Israeli newspapers described it in very different terms.

How it got here. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 war. The Oslo Accords of the 1990s gave the Palestinian Authority limited self-rule in parts of it. Israel kept control of the rest, of the borders, and of movement between areas. Israeli settlements are spread across the territory. Most states hold that they are illegal under international law; Israel disputes that. Many Palestinians work in settlements and in Israel, and they need Israeli permits and checkpoints to get there.

Israel has long closed the West Bank during major Jewish holidays. These closures stop most Palestinian movement into Israel and the settlements for the length of the holiday. This one falls over Sukkot, the week-long Jewish harvest festival. With the holiday that ends it, Sukkot runs into early October.

The war in Gaza followed the Hamas-led attack on Israel of 7 October 2023. Since then, Israeli army operations in West Bank cities have been frequent. The photograph with The Jerusalem Post's report shows one, in the Old City market of Nablus, on the same day.

The actors. Israel's defence minister oversees the army, and the army controls movement in most of the West Bank. The IDF's Central Command runs its forces there. Israel officially calls the West Bank "Judea and Samaria", its biblical name, and the police district there carries that name. The Palestinian Authority governs parts of the territory but does not control the checkpoints. The US Embassy issues travel advice to Americans, which is why it published closure dates.

What is at stake. For Palestinians, a closure means lost work and restricted travel while it lasts. For Israel, the stated concern is attacks at a time when many Israelis travel.

Where it stands. Haaretz reports checkpoints closed through 3 October, citing the US Embassy. The Jerusalem Post reports more troops deployed.