East Jerusalem: Worsening conditions of passage in all checkpoints
7:30 Sheikh Sa’ed – the fortified checkpoint with barbed wire at its side is inaccessible to us. If we enter Area B, we won’t be able to return. Only those holding Jerusalem residence documents, doctors in hospitals with special permits and schoolchildren with special permits can exit Sheikh Sa’ed here.
Outside we speak with a young man residing in Jabel Mukaber, whose grandmother lives in Sheikh Sa’ed. He says that the mornings are riddled with problems: Even little children’s school bags are inspected one by one, those without proper papers don’t pass, and a newly developed “routine” – the checkpoint is closed in the daytime without warning for hours, until soldiers decide to open it again. It’s hard to plan one’s day this way.
After we cross, we receive his message that the checkpoint has been closed for hours, children and adults waited in the rain and cold. The next day, too, he lets us know that the situation is difficult and children without papers are sent back. We called the only updated number we had of the Jerusalem Vicinity DCO. They said an email with a complaint was sent to the Civil Administration hotline. The sad truth is that there is hardly any way to help solve problems at Jerusalem checkpoints in real time. Even complaints by email remain unanswered.
Silwan – We haven’t been here for a long time. Mothers, fathers and children wait for the transport taking settler children to schools outside the neighborhood. We are surprised to discover that the tourist archeological project of the ‘Shiloah Pool’ has hugely developed in our absence, although no findings there have been publicized. There’s an elegant gate, wooden stairs, stone terraces and walls, and a large tent in which works take place that are opaque for us. It seems the place is heading for an additional opening event of David’s City even without any archeological references.
Via Wadi Joz to the Olives Checkpoint – we arrive at 8:30 p.m. and the worried Palestinians warn us that the checkpoint closes at 9:00 in the direction of Jerusalem and we must not miss it or we’ll have to drive to Qalandiya in order to return to Jerusalem. Not many people pass, but a large group of transporters stand near the car park on the Palestinian side of Eizariya. Here too we hear that not only is the checkpoint open only two hours in the morning – sometimes there are closures at Eizariya on the way to the checkpoint and it’s impossible to get there on time. The DCO that was here is now closed, and only Qalandiya DCO takes care of all residents of the Jerusalem vicinity.
Below the checkpoint hill, extensive digging is taking place related to the Sheikh Anbar tunnel being built, which will connect Road 1 to Wadi Qadum, part of the Kidron river valley. Opposite, on the side of the A-Tur range, there are diggings which according to the sign constitute a northern portal and new access road to A-Tur. Apparently from the tunnel there will be roads leading to parts of the city, including at the exit from Wadi Qadum to Silwan and the Wailing Wall.
The Container Checkpoint (Wadi Nar) – here too, things have changed since our visit several months ago. Every vehicle from both sides of the checkpoint must stop and be inspected. We were surprised at the inspection of cars crossing into the West Bank and the Bethlehem area, Hebron and southward. Two nice female soldiers arrive and claim it’s important to inspect them because the West Bank is not wholly Palestinian. They are right – there are many settlements to protect, although passage to the southern West Bank roads has been limited since war broke out and they too are limited to checkpoints.
These soldiers are from the central Israel area, and say they take care of the checkpoint dogs who are always having puppies that must be trained… They say they are interested in traffic flow and make an effort not to create traffic jams in spite of the many inspections.
In the empty area opposite the upgraded café outside the passage, a small gas station has been created. Donkeys that used to be tied there moved to another spot nearby. The world advances…
Conclusion: We have learned that conditions of passage in all checkpoints we visited have worsened. This has been so since October 7, 2023, and the ceasefire agreement has not changed a thing – perhaps the situation has become even more severe. Passage hours have been reduced, closures during the day are at random. Palestinians have a tough time planning their lives under present circumstances. You can get stuck at an internal checkpoint in Eizariya or anywhere in Area B or C and the soldiers or settlers do as they please without warning and without any explanation.
Location Description
Container (Wadi Nar)
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Wadi Nar Checkpoint ("Container", "The Kiosk") - a barrier for vehicles in Area B that is regularly manned - east of Abu Dis between Sawahra A Sharqiya and Bethlehem and its daughters. Controls Palestinian movement between the north and south West-Bank. Includes driving routes, access roads, spikes, traffic lights and signs. There is no pedestrian crossing. Open 24 hours a day with random checks enhanced on security alerts. The checkpoint is in Palestinian territory, allowing for separation between the north and the south Palestinian areas when necessary.
In 2015, the leading road from Azaria to Bethlehem was renovated, as well as the steep and narrow ascent to the Wadi Nar checkpoint, which was dangerously travelled in both directions! The temporary checkpoint was renovated and expanded, and pedestrian traffic was banned. From 2016, traffic travelling from the south bank to Azaria was directed to a one-way road near the Southern Keydar Jewish settlement.
Machsomwatch shifts visit this far-fetched checkpoint only occasionally.
(updated to July 2019)
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Ras Abu Sbitan (Olive Terminal)
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A large checkpoint/crossing to the area of a-Tur, Abu Dis and the Old City; only for pedestrians. Located on Jerusalem’s municipal boundary.
One of the major crossings in Jerusalem’s central sector. It is located on the separation fence between the northern portion of the al-Ezariya neighborhood and the neighborhood of a-Tur and the rest of East Jerusalem. It is manned by Border Police soldiers and private security companies and operates 24 hours a day. Palestinians are forbidden to go through, other than permanent residents of East Jerusalem (holders of blue ID cards) and holders of work and commercial permits who are allowed through only on foot.
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Sheikh Sa'ed
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A checkpoint limited to pedestrians, located on Jerusalem’s municipal boundary.
The checkpoint sits on the separation fence at the entrance to Sheikh Sa’ad, dividing it from its neighbourhood of Jabel Mukkabar. It’s manned by Border Police soldiers and private security companies and operates 24 hours a day. Palestinians are forbidden to go through, other than residents of Jabel Mukkabar or Sheikh Sa'ad who have permits. Both groups are permitted through only on foot. Residents of East Jerusalem who don’t live in Jabel Mukkabar are also allowed to cross to Sheikh Sa’ad, but not in the opposite direction; they must return through the Sawahira ash Sharqiya checkpoint.
Jun-16-2025United Jerusalem
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Silwan
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Silwan is south of the Old City of Jerusalem and has become one of the main confrontation areas with settlers.
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