Al-Khader, Bethlehem (300)

Bethlehem, El Khader. Morning watch 5.2.2004 Anat A, Hadas B (reporting),Naomi C. We arrived at Bethlehem checkpoint at 6.30 where we found a total curfew. The only one there was a representative of the UN. The commander of the checkpoint was very hostile towards us and told us to move away from the area (because of snipers) and would not answer our questions. At about 7am there was a changing of the guard and we could get nearer to the soldiers. Two women from the United Nations took a group of children through on their way to school. But in their footsteps came another group of Palestinian children who were not allowed to go through and when we asked the soldiers why they were not allowed to go through, the answer was: “so what if they do not go to school for one day”. At 8 am we arrived at El-Khader where there was no army presence but we were told that the army had been there from 7-7.30 and had closed the area to traffic. From the evidence of a Palestinian we learned that on the 31.1.2003 at Wadi Nar a young Palestinian had been beaten by a BP soldier so badly that he had to be taken to hospital and the same soldier had damaged his car. The Palestinians also told us that there was also shooting in the area on Friday and Saturday. The entrance to El-Khader has been closed by a dirt embankment, which has to be passed over by women and children, old and young and people carrying babies in their arms and when it rains it becomes a very dangerous and slippery passage to get over. We contacted the IDF Humanitarian center and asked them to do something about this and Yuval told us he would check it out and get back to us with an answer but we are still waiting for it.