International Checkpoint Watch - Daily Observations

Date:  09/08/01              Time:  17:15-19:15

Place Observed:  Qalandia

We arrived at 1715.  There were about 10 soldiers at the checkpoint.  They were checking all vehicles (opening trunks, packages, etc) and stopping pedestrians with packages and bags in both directions of the road.  Approximately 1 car would pass every 5 minutes.  Some cars were being turned away from going through to Jerusalem.  All cars that were turned around had green plates (Palestinian plates), but it wasn't clear whether every car with green plates was being turned around, or only some.  The soldiers appeared tense but civil.

1730: About 8 of the soldiers climbed up on the hill on the eastern side of the checkpoint (probably to catch Palestinians walking around the checkpoint above in the field).  They seemed to be looking for someone/something.  They came down again after a couple minutes, but sent 2 from their group to scout out the field above.

1745: 2 UN vehicles going towards Jerusalem are pulled over to the side and made to wait.

1805: The UN cars are still waiting, though cars are allowed to go around them.  When we asked a soldier why they were holding a UN car, he told us that they were calling their superiors to find out if they were supposed to be stopping all UN cars or not.  As they weren't sure, they were making these people wait.  He then told us that Palestinians often sneak through in UN cars, and it's very easy to paint UN letters on any random car.

1810: One UN car containing small children is allowed to pass.

1820: The second UN car is allowed to pass.‏

1830:  We are standing within the area of the road blocks.  The soldiers told us that we cannot be in that area, but as we did not abide by their demands, they don't bother with us.  They do not, however, allow any Palestinians to stay within the area of the roadblocks.  We are speaking to 2 young Palestinian boys at the side of the road. Two soldiers comes up to the 2 boys and ask to see their hands (to see if they've been throwing stones).  One boy is covered in dirt, including his hands; the second's hands are relatively clean.  The soldier takes both of them to the side of the road near their tower.  We follow them to determine what is happening to the boys.  We begin to ask the boys identifying information.  One is 11, and the other 13.  The soldiers are arguing with the us, telling us that we cannot speak to the boys because they were throwing stones.  We insisted that the boys are allowed to call their parents and inform them that they are being detained at a checkpoint.  The 13-year old boy tells us that he was just waiting with his father in a taxi to go through the checkpoint.  He said that he was bored and decided to get out of the car. The 11-year said that he is from Qalandia (refugee cam right next to the checkpoint) and was just hanging out in the area.  We gave the 11-year old our cell phone to call home to tell his parents where he is.  When asked, the soldier tells us that he is waiting for another soldier to come and confirm that he saw these boys throwing stones earlier.  The 13-year boy sees his father pleads with the soldiers to let him go to his father.  The soldiers confirm that indeed the 13 year old had been waiting at the checkpoint with his father .  The younger one is still being held, and we are told to walk away from the area. 

1840: The 11-year old boy is released without any questioning.

1850: A Red Crescent ambulance cuts the line of cars heading towards Jerusalem and approaches the checkpoint from the wrong direction.  They are stopped at the cement blocks.  Though they are carrying a patient in back (a woman, but we're not sure how serious her condition was), they are made to wait.  A crowd of 15-20 people is beginning to gather around the ambulance.

1855: I ask a soldier why they are making an ambulance wait.  He replies that it's for national security reasons, that I don't have to understand anything, and that I just have to accept it.

1700: The al-Jazeera correspondent arrives with a cameraman, comes through the checkpoint from the Jerusalem side, and begins interviewing by-standers and filming the ambulance.

1705: The ambulance is allowed to pass.

1715: End of shift.  They are still checking all vehicles in both directions.