Beit Ummar, Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Nabi Yunis, Mon 11.1.10, Morning
07.00 AM, Bethlehem – Checkpoint 300: five stations are open, and the traffic flowswell. Palestinians tell us that thecrossing is OK. Also an Ecumenicalvolunteer reports that the queue on the Palestinian side is almost resolved. We collect the Belgian couple who arrive from Bethlehem.
07.30 AM, Hussan: Chaya deals with the Palestinians’ requests, and Igive an explanation to the Belgians about the underground passageway on Road No60, and so-forth. They take manyphotographs.
08.30 AM, Beit Ummar: a few Palestians ask our help with their problems,and we answer as well as we can. Amilitary jeep parks at the side of the road, and there isn’t even onetaxi. The soldiers send all the taxisaway because “this isn’t a taxi station”. They persist in accompanying us on our way back home. The jeep continues to park there for morethan three hours in order to prevent taxis from parking there.
09.00 AM, Nabi Yunis: here also there are (only) a fewrequests.
09:45 AM, Beit 'Inun: we are going there to show the two Belgians how theinhabitants of Beit Inun, including their children, cross the busy Road No 60,which has no traffic light or “bumper” strips. Where is the traffic-light that was promised ?
Beit Ummar: we stopped in response to arequest for help from a man who is waiting for us there. We drive via Efrata and also up to Beit Jalla. We see the wall that is advancing and whichencircles Har Gilo next to the new suburb that is being built there. The wall almost touches the Everest hoteland the nearby houses. The old entranceto Har Gilo is locked. The entrance isnow around it, via Walaga to the new neighbourhood that is being built.
Beit Ummar
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Beit Ummar
The Gush Etzion-Hebron road - which is the main axis of the southern Hebron Mountains - passes through the boundaries of the village. Many incidents of stone throwing occurred on this section of road. There is a checkpoint at the entrance to the village.
In March 2006, a 25-dunam land seizure order was issued around the settlement for the purpose of establishing a "special security area" (SHBM) and a warning fence around the nearby settlement, Carmei Tzur. In April 2019, 401 dunams of the land of the villages of Beit Omer and Halhul were expropriated for the purpose of paving a road that bypasses the house of Omer to the east. Demonstrations are held by the villagers against the seizure of land with the participation of Palestinian, Israeli and international activists.
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Bethlehem (300)
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Located adjacent to the Separation Wall ("Jerusalem Wrap") at the north entrance to Bethlehem, this checkpoint cuts off Bethlehem and the entire West Bank from East Jerusalem, with all the serious implications for health services, trade, education, work and the fabric of life. The checkpoint is manned by the Border police and private security companies. It is an extensive infrastructure barrier and is designated as a border terminal, open 24 hours a day for foreign tourists. Israeli passport holders are not allowed to pass to Bethlehem, and Palestinian residents are not allowed to enter Jerusalem, except those with entry permits to Israel and East Jerusalem residents. Israeli buses are allowed to travel to Bethlehem only through this checkpoint.The checkpoint, which demonstrated harsh conditions of crowding and extreme passage delays for years, started employing advanced electronic identification posts and has upgraded its gates' system as of the middle of 2019 - and conditions improved.Adjacent to the checkpoint, in an enclosure between high walls and another passage, is the historic Rachel's Tomb, which is now embedded within a concrete fortified building. It contains prayer and study complexes for Jews only, as well as a residential complex. updated November 2019 .
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Etzion DCO
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serves residents of Bethlehem and surrounding villages who need magnetic cards, work permits for Israel, permits for one-time entry for religious or health reasons, various police permits, etc.
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Nabi Yunis
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Nabi YunisA meeting place at the junction of Route 60 and the road leading to the eastern entrance to Hebron.
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