Palestinians in the occupied West Bank navigate Israeli road closures and attacks with the assistance of a local radio station. Residents are aware that they cannot accurately predict when their loved ones will return home due to unpredictable travel conditions. A journey that once took a short time may now take hours or may not occur at all.
Before traveling, Palestinians check dedicated WhatsApp and Telegram groups where updates on road conditions are shared. These updates focus on the status of Israeli military checkpoints, roads that are off-limits to Palestinians, and reports of attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian vehicles. Occasionally, pins are sent to alert drivers of Israeli military operations in nearby towns.
If there is no time to check these groups, Palestinians can turn to Basma FM, a radio station based in Rawabi near Ramallah, which provides three traffic updates per hour. The station began broadcasting on October 2, 2023, just days before the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, which marked the beginning of increased violence in the region.
Fatima Barqawi, Basma FM’s news and traffic director, stated that the station initially aimed to target young people with entertainment and cultural news. However, the outbreak of conflict necessitated a shift in focus. Barqawi noted that her team of seven employees verifies information and provides updates on roadblocks, emphasizing the rapidly changing situation.
Traveling through the West Bank poses dangers for Palestinians, who drive white-plated vehicles that are easily identifiable compared to the yellow-plated cars of Israeli settlers. Reports indicate that Israeli soldiers have killed Palestinians at checkpoints, claiming they were conducting ramming attacks, while settlers have attacked Palestinian vehicles or blocked their access to certain roads.
The expansion of illegal Israeli settlements has led to an increase in such attacks. Infrastructure projects are underway to connect these settlements, isolating Palestinian communities and forcing them to use poorly maintained roads or dangerous routes to avoid confrontations.
A young Palestinian woman, who chose to remain anonymous, expressed her heightened anxiety while driving, stating, "I used to blast my music and drive, now I’m on high alert. Always on edge." She recounted an incident where Israeli soldiers assaulted her fiancé at a checkpoint and another incident where a soldier pointed a rifle at her.
Many Palestinians report experiences of assault, humiliation, and arrests at checkpoints. Israel has long imposed movement restrictions on Palestinians, controlling their access to roads and the broader world. Since the onset of the conflict in Gaza, these restrictions have intensified. According to the United Nations, as of December 2025, there were 925 barriers across the occupied West Bank, a 43 percent increase compared to the 20-year annual average.
Most villages and cities in the West Bank have iron gates at their entrances, which Israeli forces close arbitrarily. Some gates are only open during specific hours. A report by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem indicates that these restrictions are used to fragment Palestinian life, isolating individuals from work, schools, hospitals, and each other.
As Heba Erkat prepared for her segment on Basma FM, she was aware that the information she was about to present could change rapidly. During the broadcast, she provided updates on 61 checkpoints across the West Bank, noting that only 12 were closed or had long queues, but emphasized that "the situation changes by the minute."