PM
Qalandiya 24/2/2004 Watchers: Aya K., Drora P., Iris B., Roni H. (reporter), guests: director Yoram S. and cameraman Dani Everybody from the Ramallah area, reagardless of age and gender, was allowed to pass without permit!! Unbelievable, but true! This new regulation has been implemented on Tuesday morning and, of course, not all checkpoint guards were already aware of it. Therefore, when we arrived at 4 p.m., we nevertheless found four detainees, two of them from Ramallah area, who were caught at the quarry at about 12:00. The two have asked to pass at the checkpoint but were refused. So they tried to circumvent through the quarry and were captured there. Although they were perfectly eligible for passage, they were waiting already 4 hours for their IDs to be cleared! Absurd situation: new regulations on one side – reality on the other! Once an ID is confiscated for checking, there seems no way to stop the bureaucratic machine (although we have witnessed cases where IDs were returned before clearance was received – obviously a matter of decision f the CP commander!) At 17:15, after 5 hours(!) of waiting, the twodetainees were at last released. The other 2 detainees were from Hebron area and had to wait for clearance much longer.But the new regulation has changed the sight of the checkpoint completely! No waiting lines! The Palestinians were taken by surprise and their facial expressions showed unbelief when they were waved through after only a quick glance at their IDs. Let’s hope this will last!At 17:10 children began to gather on the hill near the fence and started tothrow stones. At 17:25 we saw soldiers taking position behind a truck on thegangway. No shots were yet fired, but the tension was growing. Aya ran up the hill to the children. I followed her and up there we tried to persuade them to stop the stonethrowing and to get down. It was no easy task todetract them from their plans. Everyone one of us employed different methods. In the meantime, down at the checkpoint, the children were worried about Aya and shouted up to take care of her! At last we succeeded, and at about 17:45 one of the young “leaders” decided to stop the “game” and to get down the hill. The checkpoint was closed throughout this event. This afternoon the shootings could be prevented! A new task for machsomwatchers at Qalandiya?
Hebron
See all reports for this place-
According to Wye Plantation Accords (1997), Hebron is divided in two: H1 is under Palestinian Authority control, H2 is under Israeli control. In Hebron there are 170,000 Palestinian citizens, 60,000 of them in H2. Between the two areas are permanent checkpoints, manned at all hours, preventing Palestinian movement between them and controlling passage of permit holders such as teachers and schoolchildren. Some 800 Jews live in Avraham Avinu Quarter and Tel Rumeida, on Givat HaAvot and in the wholesale market.
Checkpoints observed in H2:
- Bet Hameriva CP- manned with a pillbox
- Kapisha quarter CP (the northern side of Zion axis) - manned with a pillbox
- The 160 turn CP (the southern side of Zion axis) - manned with a pillbox
- Avraham Avinu quarter - watch station
- The pharmacy CP - checking inside a caravan with a magnometer
- Tarpat (1929) CP - checking inside a caravan with a magnometer
- Tel Rumeida CP - guarding station
- Beit Hadassah CP - guarding station
Three checkpoints around the Tomb of the Patriarchs
Muhammad D.May-13-2026Hebron - Request for compensation for land expropriation
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