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Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Sun 1.2.09, Afternoon

Place: Abu Dis / Lazarus gate (formerly The Wicket) Container (Wadi Nar)
Tags: Detainees
Observers: Dvora G., Dafna S. (reporting)
Feb-01-2009
| Afternoon
Wadi Nar

 
The site is upgraded from time to time: Arrows on the road; a traffic island. 
8 soldiers, some from the military police some from the border police.

 
Most of the vehicles are checked — many detained but documents are returned fairly expeditiously.  One of the detainees complains that sometimes it takes up to two hours until documents are returned, and that when we are there everything moves faster.

 
Two soldiers are horsing around strangely, giggling very strangely but at the same time checking is fast and efficient.  We approached to ask about a group of detainees headed for Bethlehem, and one of the giggling soldiers sprang in panic towards us and demanded rudely that we return immediately to our place — all the while cracking sunflower seeds — and in reply to our question about the detainees said all was according to the rules, and again rudely told us to turn back.

The behaviour of the soldiers on this day was very strange.

  • Abu Dis / Lazarus gate (formerly The Wicket)

    See all reports for this place

    •  

      Abu Dis / Lazarus Checkpoint/Gate (east of the former “wicket”)

      Construction of the wall in the Abu Dis area blocked all the gaps that allowed people to cross from al-Ezariya to the neighbourhoods of Abu Dis and Ras al 'Amud that are located within Jerusalem’s municipal boundary. The Lazarus checkpoint is a gate in the wall adjacent to the Lazarus Monastery. Until 2011 it had a door for pilgrims to al-Ezariya and for the monastery’s kindergarten pupils from al-Ezariya. The crossing is currently closed, but the site has infrastructure for conducting inspections.

  • 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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