Beit Ummar, Bethlehem, Etzion DCL, Nabi Yunis, Mon 16.3.09, Morning
06:45 AM, Bethlehem – Checkpoint 300: only three open positions, long lines at each, and heavy pressure of people on the Palestinian. According to a foreign volunteer, it went well this moprning, without pressure and they passed quickly. He said there were five open positions, and then six checking points.
The Palestinians say that it took between one and two hours to pass. We phoned the Humanitarian Centre twice to get them to open another position. Finally, after yet another call from Chana, another point was opened by an officer who was willing, but not quite familiar with reading the documents. Where had the women soldiers gone? The pressure was so great that there were occasional loud vocal exchanges between the people waiting and the security men who tried to keep order. All in all, not pleasant to say the least.
08:00 AM, Etzion DCL: few people, perhaps ten, waiting. They opened on time. When we returned there at 10:00 there were only three waiting at the invitation of Shabak. All the others had already entered.
08:30 AM, Beit Ummar: no activity.
09:00 AM, Nabi Yunis: we dealt with various requests.
10:00 AM, Etzion DCL: we went home.
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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