Navigating Fear: How Palestinians in the West Bank Rely on Radio and Messaging Apps for Road Safety

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank face severe uncertainty when traveling, as short trips can take hours or become impossible due to Israeli restrictions and attacks. Before driving, residents check dedicated WhatsApp and Telegram groups to share real-time road conditions. Instead of typical traffic updates, these chats warn about open Israeli military checkpoints, restricted roads, settler attacks, and military raids.

When there is no time to check messaging apps, Palestinians tune into Basma FM. Based in Rawabi near Ramallah, the Palestinian radio station broadcasts three traffic updates per hour. Launched on October 2, 2023, the station originally intended to target young people with entertainment and culture news. However, Fatima Barqawi, Basma FM’s news and traffic director, explained that the team had to shift focus following the outbreak of the war on Gaza.

Basma FM's department has seven employees who verify information to provide continuous updates on roadblocks. Barqawi noted that conditions change constantly, with checkpoints opening and closing unexpectedly.

Traveling through the occupied territory carries inherent dangers. Palestinians drive white-plated vehicles, making them easily distinguishable from the yellow-plated cars of Israeli settlers. Israeli soldiers have killed Palestinians at checkpoints following alleged ramming attacks, while settlers frequently target Palestinian vehicles. These attacks are increasing alongside the rapid expansion of illegal Israeli settlements and highway projects that isolate Palestinian communities and force drivers onto dangerous alternative routes.

A young Palestinian woman, speaking anonymously to Al Jazeera, described her journeys as filled with fear and anxiety. She recounted instances of being harassed and threatened by Israeli soldiers at checkpoints.

Movement restrictions have intensified significantly since the war began. According to the United Nations agency OCHA, the number of barriers across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, reached 925 by December 2025—a 43 percent increase over the 20-year annual average. Most villages and cities now feature iron gates at their entrances that are closed arbitrarily by Israeli forces.

A report by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, titled The Elimination Project, states that these restrictions are part of a systematic assault designed to fragment Palestinian life and isolate people from work, schools, and hospitals.

Inside the studio at Basma FM, Heba Erkat prepares her bulletins knowing the information can shift rapidly. During a recent afternoon broadcast, she listed updates across 61 checkpoints in the West Bank, noting that 12 were closed or had long queues, while reminding listeners that the situation changes by the minute.