Coverage by BBSNews

BBSNews - 2003-04-22 -- Rafah April 19, 2003 - Three ISM members based in Rafah – Alison from Scotland, Francesco from Italy and Raph from London -- arrived at Abu Holi checkpoint, the main ingress to Khan Yunis and Rafah from the north, at 3:30 this afternoon. We were greeted by a queue of 25 vehicles and a crowd of people. Those at the head of the queue told us they had been waiting since 7:00 AM in the morning. The atmosphere was one of patient frustration, nobody knowing whether there might be a brief opening to allow them through.

The Gaza strip is currently enduring its fourth day of closure as ordered by the Israeli occupation to mark the Jewish holiday of freedom, Passover. The effects of closure are to even further isolate the Gaza strip from the outside and to divide it into three sectors between which movement is not permitted. Israel has justified its action as a response to a resistance attack on the edge of the Gaza strip at the main crossing point for goods between Israel and Gaza. The draconian, disproportionate and arbitrary nature of this response clearly makes it an act of collective punishment in contravention of the Geneva Convention.

Palestinians present became aware of us and moved forward with us to the head of the line of vehicles. This small crowd at the front clearly made the hidden soldiers nervous and a voice came over the loudspeaker of the tower warning us all to move backwards or that we would be shot. We took this threat seriously and stepped back a few yards to call the British Embassy and consider what to do. The embassy advised us to leave.

As we could not be sure that our shouting into the wind was audible, we decided that Alison and Raph would slowly and deliberately approach the tower and attempt to communicate the desire of the Palestinians to pass through the checkpoint. Francesco was to wait behind and observe. We intended to make a case for those with particular needs, be they medical or social.

Alison and Raph linked arms and walked in as unthreatening a manner as possible about 10m up the road. We then stopped to shout that we were internationals from the UK who wished to talk to them. As we got no response we walked forward another 10m and shouted again. The loudspeaker told us to go back (in Arabic). We were then asked to show our papers and we waved our passports in the air. We continued to shout that we were peaceful internationals who wished to talk and then were told in English to wait. We sat down in the road for about 10 minutes.

A jeep then pulled out from the tower area and parked behind the drums. The tower told us to approach. Alison and I got up, linked arms again and went towards the jeep. Once we were next to it, four soldiers got out and we were called over. Two soldiers took up a firing stance behind blocks on either side of the road and we talked with the other two.

The soldiers asked in English where we were from and we showed our passports. We made our request that the checkpoint be opened for a short period for all to pass, or that if they were not willing to allow this, the sick, old and young be allowed through. The officer said that the checkpoint was closed and no one could go through, these were his orders. One of the two snipers, probably a Russian, said (in Hebrew to his colleague) that he wanted to go home and wanted peace. This was relayed to us in English by his co-sniper who said he wanted peace but the Palestinians did not. We said the Palestinians too wanted peace. The second sniper warned us that we were in danger from the Palestinians. In the interests of our objective I did not comment. The officer then suggested the checkpoint would open at 3am. In response to our concern for the humanitarian cases present he indicated that the Israeli military liaison officer would come to the scene. They instructed us to go back.

The Palestinians were eager to hear our report on what was said and we decided to wait for the DCO. The white jeep finally appeared after about 20 minutes and Alison and I again linked arms, walked to the checkpoint itself and engaged the two soldiers. The main speaker was eager to see our passports, he asked if we were just tourists as per our visas (we said yes) and explained that all humanitarian cases required coordination with the Palestinian liaison. We explained our concerns and the soldier indicated the possibility of a 30 minute opening after a man and sick child had been brought through from the Gaza side of the checkpoint. He made no promises but said he would check with his senior officer. We returned and the news seemed well received by the Palestinians.

The white jeep drove off. After some 20 minutes, the original four soldiers came out and removed the barbed wire across the opposite lane and moved the barrels from our lane. This caused much cheering and hooting of horns from the Palestinians with us. People rushed to their cars, only to see the soldiers return the barrels. Finally, the other side did open. Everybody rushed to their vehicles in great excitement. Once the traffic had gone through, the white jeep came back and our convoy was ordered forward. The first vehicle edged towards the checkpoint, a young man jumped out of the back to move the barrels and we watched as everybody sped past, smiling, clapping and waving.

Our sense of exhilaration lasted only until the taxi ride home when we heard the news from Nablus of the killing of a journalist.

The preceding report was provided to BBSNews by the International Solidarity Movement.

Michael Hess is the Editor of BBSNews in Charlotte, NC. Write to the editor here. Not all submissions are published. Or visit the completely new BBSNews Blog and Forum on our front page - Please Participate in BBSNews!