A new checkpoint at Ma’ale Adumim on the road to Ramallah forced Palestinians to wait for up to four hours on Sunday.
The move comes during the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims traditionally avoid eating and drinking during the hours of daylight. As a consequence, long queues at checkpoints in summer can cause additional distress. Long queues were also reported at the Container checkpoint, between Bethlehem and Jericho. Drivers claimed that they were stopped for hours for no apparent reason, with no inspection or ID check taking place.
Abd Fatah Hamayal, the Mayor of Bethlehem, was one of the drivers detained at the new Ma’ale Adumim checkpoint and waited for three and half hours. He claimed that the checkpoint ‘had no security justification whatsoever’ describing it as ‘contempt for human dignity’.
‘Their plan is to stop us from going to UN; but it’s actions like this which just make us more determined.’
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