The Israeli army has announced that it would impose a complete closure on the occupied West Bank for the next two days for the Jewish religious holiday of Shavuot. "The measure takes effect from midnight (2100 GMT) Saturday and will in principle be lifted at midnight on Monday barring the unexpected," an army spokeswoman said. During Jewish holidays the Israeli army routinely shuts off the West Bank for fear of attack by militant groups, preventing the 33,000 or so Palestinians still authorised to work in Israel or annexed east Jersualem from reaching their places of work.