3rd February 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
No one can describe this feeling,
when occupation did what it does best:
humiliate, harass, humiliate.
There is no words to say, today,
I was treated like I’m not a human being.
No words, that can put across the actual meaning.
The daily humiliation, it can not,
it will never become ‘normal’,
it can never be acceptable.
The arrogance of occupation, that
humiliates and harasses you,
yells at you, insists and demonstrates,
that there is no laws regulating it.
That it can do whatever, it can humiliate, harass,
yell, sexually harass, intimidate, kill.
It can kill by shooting, but it can also kill slowly,
killing the spirit, slowly, daily,
through humiliation and harassment.
Slowly by slowly, wearing down the spirit,
showing that this occupation has long lost any sense of humanity.
The subjects are only there to be destroyed,
to be harassed, humiliated.
Humiliation can kill.
It kills the spirit, it demonstrates that in the end
occupation is free, free to humiliate,
free to harass, free to kill.
Daily humiliation,
from when you step out of the door
till you reach your home again.
At the checkpoint, on the street.
Ubiquitous. Everywhere. No escape.
Even in your home, your not safe from humiliation.
Occupation rules by humiliation.
There’s nowhere to feel safe.
No hope if you expect to be seen as what you are:
a human being
2nd February 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
On Thursday morning Israeli forces detained Palestinian teachers and students from Qurtuba school for over two hours at Shuhada checkpoint in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) without reason and despite the fact that students and teachers always have to pass the checkpoint to reach school. Israeli forces have again denied students their right to education by preventing students as well as teachers from reaching their classes.
Israeli forces deny entry to Palestinian students, teachers, and 3 officials from Save the Children through Shuhada check point on their way to Qurtuba school.
Qurtuba school is located in the H2 neighborhood of occupied al-Khalil, under full Israeli military control. All students and teachers coming from the H1-area, supposedly under full Palestinian control, are forced to pass both the Shuhada checkpoint and another checkpoint just a few meters down the street, in order to reach their school. Whereas a major part of the teachers and students were allowed to pass Shuhada checkpoint as they do every morning, a group of 5 teachers, including the director, and 3 students were detained at the checkpoint and not allowed to pass. The group was kept waiting inside the checkpoint box, as Israeli forces tried to force them to pass through the metal detector, even though there’s an official decision that teachers and students on their way to school do not have to pass through the metal detector. After the group pointed out this agreement–insisting that the soldiers respect it–Israeli forces closed the checkpoint to all other civilian Palestinians, telling everyone that no one would be allowed to pass as long as the teachers were ‘making trouble’.
After some time the teachers were allowed to pass and hurried to school. Because of this harassment, they arrived at class more than half an hour late. The director stayed outside the checkpoint, waiting for her students and was told by a soldier, ‘if you’re students want an education, then they have to pass the metal detector’. The soldiers insisted that they can’t depend on a ‘precedent’, even though there’s an official agreement that students and teachers don’t have to pass the checkpoint. They kept pretending that they ‘knew the law’, which they clearly didn’t. A group of 3 Palestinian officials from ‘Save the Children’ were denied to pass the checkpoint by the Israeli forces. In the end, after more than two hours of co-ordination with officials, Israeli forces finally allowed the 3 students, standing outside in the freezing cold, to pass and reach their school – in accordance with the official agreement in which they do not have to pass the metal detector.
Earlier that day, when internationals attempted to pass the same checkpoint in the morning, Israeli forces were already adjusting the law according to their whim. First, they let the internationals pass. Just a few minutes later, they ran after the internationals up a hill, demanding their passports. Israeli soldiers are not allowed to physically take and photograph international passports. The soldiers, though, insisted. When reminded of the law he just replied ‘It’s my checkpoint, I do whatever I want”. In the end, they let the internationals go, but not without promising them that the next time they will not allow them to pass.
Israeli soldier checking ID and searching the bag of a Palestinian woman, who was forced to wait a few meters away from the checkpoint in the freezing cold with her three children
A few meters up the hill, another group of soldiers stopped the internationals, as they were ordered by the other soldiers to not allow them to pass the checkpoint. Israeli forces when denying them passage, argued that they’re responsible for the ‘security’ of the internationals and it would be ‘dangerous’ for them to pass the checkpoint. The irony of the situation though, is that the internationals, who have been harassed, stopped and yelled at by the soldiers (all heavily-armed with machine-guns) are assured by the same soldiers that it was actually their duty to protect them. They are the ones Palestinian civilians and internationals need to be protected from.
Israeli Forces harassing international activists, taking pictures of them with his private phone.
1st February 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
On Wednesday, 1st February 2017, Israeli forces intimidated school-children on their way to school. In the process, they closed one of the main checkpoints delaying teachers and school-children as they were on their way to school.
As groups of children were passing the checkpoint in both directions to reach their schools, a few children ran up to the checkpoint throwing pebbles at the big metal structure. These children were immediately stopped by Palestinian adults and shortly after ran off. Despite the fact that the checkpoint is fenced off with metal and it is therefore impossible to actually hit anyone, the Israeli forces immediately came out of the checkpoint-box, as the children ran away.
The soldiers immediately locked the turnstiles, the one leading into the checkpoint box and the one allowing people that have passed the checkpoint to go out onto the street. Three boys, after having passed the metal detector, were locked inside the checkpoint, as soldiers prohibited them from passing the turnstile, keeping it locked. When asked by ISMers to allow the boys to leave, a female soldier told them that she’s ‘doing her job’, and they will have to wait till everything is over. This was after the boys throwing the stones had already left the area. She refused to let the boys go even though they clearly were not involved–insisting that it was ‘her job’. This constitutes a form of collective punishment illegal under Art. 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention and is considered a war crime.
School-children locked inside the checkpoint as Israeli forces deny them to pass and leave – collective punishment of school-children discounted by the soldiers as ‘their job’
Shortly after, people were gathering at the turnstile at the entrance to the checkpoint. A total of two men, two school-boys and one school-girl were trapped on this side of the checkpoint. When they asked the soldiers to open, they were yelled at and told to ‘shut up’. Several left, but others patiently waited for the Israeli forces to allow them in – one by one only, a process that goes very slowly.
Several Palestinian are standing in line at the entry of the checkpoint, as Israeli forces stand by and deny them the right to pass.
Palestinians trapped at the locked turnstile as Israeli forces refuse to open. The checkpoint is the only possible way for Palestinians to reach the other side, always at the mercy of the occupying forces.
Shortly after, a group of Israeli forces went through the gate at the checkpoint, walking towards the cluster of schools located behind the checkpoint.
A group of Palestinian school children waiting for their school-bus, as the heavily-armed Israeli forces stand by watching a group of children outside their schools.
As the Israeli forces approached the schools, teachers made sure that their students would get to school, safely past the Israeli forces.
Israeli forces watching school-children as they go to school.
The soldiers pointed their live-ammunition assault-rifles several times at school-children: a form of intimidation used on school children regardless of their age.
Israeli forces pointing their guns and aiming at school-children.
31st January 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
In the old city of occupied al-Khalil (Hebron), Palestinians’ freedom of movement is impeded by a large number of Israeli checkpoints. In the Tel Rumeida neighborhood, many school-children and teachers are forced to pass at least one, often more, checkpoint daily on their way to school. The Israeli occupation seriously disrupts the right to education for Palestinians in al-Khalil.
One of the checkpoints that Palestinians have to pass in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood is the ‘Gilbert’ checkpoint in the heart of the Tel Rumeida neighborhood. This checkpoint divides the neighborhood, enforcing the Israeli forces’ checkpoint regime on Palestinian residents only. Israeli settlers enjoy full freedom of movement and rights in and around the illegal settlements. This photo-story of the Gilbert checkpoint illustrates what this limitation of movement means to Palestinian civilians in every day life.
Palestinian journalists were denied entry through the checkpoint. They were on their way to Shuhada Street to document Palestinian school children walking through checkpoints on their way to school.
Palestinian school-boy has to pass his school-bag for a bag-search, before being allowed to continue on his way to school.
Israeli soldier searching the bag of a Palestinian woman. Officially, these bag-searches are for ‘security purposes’, but Israeli forces often arbitrarily search only some bags. At this checkpoint they mainly search women’s bags, while allowing men to pass without being searched. Palestinians are robbed of even the tiniest bit of privacy at the Israeli forces’ checkpoints.
Group of Palestinian school children passing through Israeli military checkpoint. Children are not exempt from the Israeli forces policies and are forced to pass metal detectors daily. On their way to school. Israeli forces sometimes search their bags or force them to wait while checking another Palestinian.
Palestinian child passing through checkpoint and past a large group of Israeli forces on his way home. An ‘innocent’ childhood is denied to Palestinian children living under Israeli military occupation. Sadly, they have to pass large groups of heavily-armed soldiers on the way to school. The practice of soldiers conducting exercises of how to shoot Palestinians to death at checkpoints in civilian Palestinian neighborhoods are the norm rather than the exception.
Palestinian school children passing Israeli military checkpoint on their way to school. These checkpoints often are the reason for Palestinian school-children to reach school late, as they might be delayed, denied to pass or searched.
Palestinian man is forced to wait at the checkpoint, but forced to move several meters back, as Israeli forces check his ID, violating his freedom of movement.
Israeli forces are detaining a Palestinian woman at the checkpoint, unaware that a member of a UN delegation is present. According to international law and the recent UN resolution, Israeli settlements in the Israeli occupied West Bank are illegal.
Israeli forces ‘checking’ Palestinian shop located near the checkpoint. All commodities and general necessities have to be bought on the other side of the checkpoint, as the area locked up within the checkpoints has no shops. So, whenever a Palestinian needs to buy groceries, he or she must pass the checkpoint.
Palestinian school-children turn around as Israeli forces call them back. Having passed the metal detector doesn’t always mean that soldiers will allow you to pass: even after passing through the checkpoint, soldiers from time to time will stop and inspect Palestinians again.
31st January 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
There are 17 permanent checkpoints in the H2 area under full Israeli military control in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron), manned by Israeli forces and impeding Palestinian freedom of movement. The official rhetoric of the Israeli government is that these checkpoints serve ‘security purposes’.
In total contrast to this ‘security rationale’, Israeli forces within al-Khalil have often illustrated how the checkpoints rather serve the purpose of humiliating the civilian Palestinian population and dictating their movement. Whereas most of the checkpoints are theoretically in operation 24hrs a day, a checkpoint near Ibrahimi Mosque is closed every evening around 9 – effectively imposing a nightly curfew on the Palestinian population in this area; in order to circumvent the checkpoint, Palestinians would have to take a half-hour long, extremely hilly detour.
Over the last few weeks, soldiers at Shuhada checkpoint have been observed twice sleeping inside the checkpoint. On 12th January 2017 Israeli forces were fast asleep in the checkpoint, thus effectively shutting down any kind of movement for Palestinians, who were stuck outside the turnstile as they waited for the soldiers to wake up and manually open it for every single person. On January 30th, one of the two soldiers supposedly ‘working’ in the checkpoint was asleep again. Both of the soldiers were sitting behind the bullet proof glass, with one of them obviously asleep, in plain sight of anyone crossing the checkpoint. When asked in surprise, if the soldier is sleeping, the soldier that was awake just shrugged his shoulders.
The official rationale of ‘security reasons’ for the implementation of this checkpoint-regime seems pointless. If soldiers are asleep at checkpoints, unaware of their surroundings, how are they really maintaining security? Instead, the checkpoints serve the purpose of fragmentation and humiliation. They lead to the fragmentation of Palestinian civilian neighborhoods: dividing neighborhoods in the same city from each other by fenced off checkpoints, separating families from work, schools, medical care, basic necessities such as cooking gas or a pack of rice. Additionally, the checkpoints perpetuate the all to common humiliation of Palestinian civilians by the Israeli forces; they force Palestinian men to take off their belts ‘for security reasons’ when they pass through the metal detector at the checkpoint – the soldiers clearly know that the belt is setting of the metal detector and even say so – but force everyone to take it off anyways, merely to humiliate innocent people. The long lines in the rain, where Palestinians are forced by the Israeli forces to ‘wait’ to be allowed to pass the checkpoint without reason destroys their sense of worth and dignity. They often have to stand in the pouring rain with no shelter indefinitely. In this system of humiliation, even a less than a month old baby is a ‘security threat’ and treated as such, without any regard for humanity.
In the end, the checkpoint-regime is solely implemented for this kind of humiliation and fragmentation: aiming to create a coercive environment that will facilitate forcible displacement of the Palestinian population. The checkpoints facilitate the expansion of existing illegal settlements. It allows Israel to eventually grab enough land to connect a consistent stretch of illegal settlements that are free of the indigenous population, the Palestinians.
