International Checkpoint Watch - Daily Observations

3 Observations at Qalandia Checkpoint

1st May 2002

10.20am - Soldierjumps over barricade and runs to service. He puts barrel on gun directly on tyre and shoots blowing the tyre.

10.50am - Same soldier stands on concrete block and aims towards tyre of serivce 2m away, over the heads of people waiting to cross, blowing the tyre

5th May 2002

12.20pm - Soldier pulls out guy from queue and shouts at him. Soldier shoves guy twice and takes his ID and tells him to go away. Guy waits for an hour and is given it back and told to go the back to end of queue.

1.05pm - Captain of unit pulls 2 men out of the front of the queue randomly and orders them to return to the back of the queue

1.10pm - Captain of unit throws teargas canister and sound bomb into a group of services. Wind blows teargas towards people waiting for to cross. People try to run but are stopped by the soldiers and barbed wire

7th May 2002

4.15pm - ICW volunteer is about to get into taxi when soldier confiscates the keys of the driver. He walks off. ICW volunteer asks for what reason and he replies 'to teach him a lesson...so he learns' He says that will wait until 12am if the soldier wants him too'. The soldier gives back the keys after 5 minutes