The 18th of November a Palestinian man was refused to pass checkpoint H56 in central Hebron because he was carrying a bottle of cooking gas to his home. Checkpoint H56 is situated on the border between the PA-controlled area in Hebron (often referred to as H1) and the area which is under direct control of the Israeli Occupation Force (referred to as H2). Palestinians living inside H2 are checked by IOF soldiers every time they enter the area, something that can be very troublesome and cause unpredictable delays.
The soldiers manning the checkpoint at this occasion state to have contacted their officers and that they had orders not to let the man pass with the gas bottle. Although after two hours of waiting and assistance from HRWs: the Red Cross and Machsom Watch, the man could finally pass the checkpoint and continue home.
This incident is nothing unusual in Hebron but an example of how the Israeli Occupation Army is trying to make everyday life as hard as possible for the Palestinians living in occupied Hebron.
