Israeli procedures on Huwara checkpoint disturb the holiday of Muslims' Eid

Thursday December 20, 2007 12:18 by Ameen Abu Wardeh - IMEMC News

At the end of the first day of the Muslim festival Eid of Al Adha, scores of Palestinian families were stuck at the Huwara checkpoint, south of Nablus on Wednesday night, waiting for the Israeli soldiers' permission to pass the checkpoint, after returning back from visiting their relatives.

Detained Palestinians at Huwara checkpoint/archive photo

After waiting for a long time at the checkpoint, families realized that it had been closed after a Palestinian youth was suspected of attempting to stab an Israeli soldier after an altercation broke out between them. The boy was then kidnapped and taken to a nearby Israeli military base at Huwara checkpoint.

The soldiers kept the checkpoint closed even after they kidnapped the boy and it wasn't re-opened until an Israeli officer arrived.

Twice this week two young Palestinian men have been arrested at checkpoints in an attempt to cause fear among the residents.

The northern West Bank city of Nablus is surrounded by six Israeli illegal checkpoints known as, Huwara, Beit Iba, Beit 'Awarta, Beit Foreik, Sura, and al Toor. Israeli soldiers have total power over these checkpoints, they decide what time they will open and even classify the people that can pass them as they please.

These checkpoints have had a huge humanitarian impact on health services as they delay the access of patients from the surrounding areas to Nablus city where they receive essential medical treatment. The checkpoints also obstruct patient's arrival to hospitals in eastern Jerusalem.

Translated by Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News.

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