CPTNet
23 October, 2005

HEBRON: Increased Israeli military activity in Hebron's Old City during
Jewish holidays

By Kristin Anderson and Diane Janzen

In the past two weeks, Israeli military and police have intensified
their activities in and around the Old City of Hebron. Members of the
army and police told CPTers that extra "security" around the city was
necessary due to the Jewish holidays (Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, and
Succoth). In the Old City, soldiers regularly patrolled the main
streets and alleyways, and entered Palestinian homes and rooftops.
During military patrols, soldiers detained Palestinians, physically
assaulting them in some cases. On several occasions, armed Jewish
visitors enjoyed a military escort as they paraded through Hebron's Old
City Palestinian market.

These are some of the more notable effects of the increased "security":

At the northwest entrance of the Old City -- Bab-Al-Baladiyya -- soldiers
at Beit Romano checkpoint detained Palestinians, checked their IDs,
ordered men to lift their shirts, and used a hand-held laser to search
Palestinians' bodies. The military also brought in a truck with a
portable x-ray machine and soldiers forced Palestinians to place their
bags on a conveyor belt on one side of the vehicle and retrieve them
from the other side.

On at least two occasions, soldiers closed the southern entrance to the
Old City and allowed only Palestinian schoolchildren and teachers
through on their way to and from school.

Israeli border police closed the Old City entrance next to the Ibrahimi
Mosque five times in the past two weeks. And even when the gate was not
closed, the officers often slowed the passage of Palestinians by waiting
for long stretches before pressing the button to allow people to pass
individually through the turnstile gates.

At the checkpoint down the street from the Ibrahimi Mosque, Israeli
border police consistently checked the IDs of Palestinians, detaining
2-3 men at any given time. CPTers observed border police searching
purses of Palestinian women and bags of Palestinian men who were on
their way to the Ibrahimi Mosque.

During the times when soldiers closed the southern entrance and the
Ibrahimi Mosque entrance to the Old City, they prevented Palestinian
children from getting into the soup kitchen in the Old City in order to
collect soup for their families.

At the Ibrahimi school checkpoint outside the Old City, soldiers
periodically claimed the Old City was closed and banned Palestinians
from passing through, even though all other gates were open. Soldiers
also stopped students who live in the Old City from returning to their
homes.

Israeli police forces and special forces positioned themselves on
streets next to the Old City and randomly stopped Palestinians for ID
checks. On the portion of Shuhada Street that is open to Palestinians,
soldiers and police manned plastic barricades that force Palestinians
onto a narrow walkway. Israeli settlers and visitors had use of the
rest of the street and were not subject to army or police interference.

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