‘Anata-Shu’afat
Shuafat checkpoint
Despite promises, there is no improvement!
7:30 : Winter break in the schools. No pupil transportation.
We entered the pedestrian crossing hoping that after all the promises, and in view of the school break, crossing would be fast. But that was not the case.
Users of public transportation are still required to disembark and cross on foot. Many buses awaited them at the exit from the checkpoint.
A sole female soldier was busy with the checking. The pace of crossing was therefore slow, although the turnstile opened more frequently than on recent days. Crossing for the elderly was also faster, but the so-called "humanitarian" passage (for children and the ill) was not open.
The waiting hall at the entrance to checks has not changed. There are no clear lanes for queuing . As always the young try to jump the line and move to the front. This time a brawl ensued, with shouting, cursing, and fists ready to hit. A woman picked up her little child and left.
After 20 minutes we were out — relatively fast compared with the last weeks, but still pretty slow considering the smaller size of the crowd due to the school winter break.
In the crossing for vehicles, the traffic jam snaked deep into the main road. Three checking points were operative, but not working fast. A soldier gestured in our direction. We ignored him, he began a string of shouts which we will not repeat here, and we continued to ignore him to his great frustration.
We left.
Checkpoint Shu'afat camp / Anata-Shu'afat (Jerusalem)
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The Shu’afat checkpoint is located in the northern part of East Jerusalem at the exit from the village of Anata and the Shu’afat refugee camp, which are located in the area annexed to Jerusalem in 1967. The refugee camp borders the Shu’afat neighborhood to the west, Pisgat Ze’ev to the north, the French Hill neighborhood to the south and the planned expansion of Ma’aleh Adumim to E-1 in the east. It was established in 1966 for 1948 refugees from the West Bank and was populated after the Six Day War by persons who had been expelled from the Jewish Quarter. Today its population comprises some 25,000 people holding blue ID cards and some 15,000 people with Palestinian ID cards. The camp lacks adequate infrastructure and services, and suffers from poverty, neglect and overcrowding. All its buildings are connected to the public electricity and water infrastructure, but not all are connected to the sewer system. The camp’s services are provided by UNRWA, except for those such as health clinics and transportation of pupils to schools in Jerusalem. In 2005, the Israeli High Court of Justice rejected a suit by the residents requesting that the route of the separation fence be drawn such that the camp would remain on the Israeli side, but conditioned its approval of the route on the establishment of a convenient and rapid crossing facility for the inhabitants of the neighborhood, most of whom are residents of Jerusalem.
A temporary checkpoint operated there until December, 2011. It was extremely congested during rush hours, and dangerous for pedestrians (especially children) because of inadequate safety provisions. The new checkpoint was inaugurated south of the old one, for public and private transportation and for pedestrians, intended solely for the residents of the camp – holders of blue ID cards, and those with Palestinian ID cards who possess appropriate permits. There are five vehicle inspection stations at the checkpoint, and two for pedestrians (one of which is currently closed) where scanners have been installed but are not yet operating. According to the army, representatives of government agencies will also be present to provide services to residents of the neighbourhood. The pedestrian lanes are very long, located far from the small parking lots, and accessible through only a single revolving gate.
Anat TuegJan-25-2026Anata: A new outpost has been built south of the junction
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