Qarrara, Gaza Strip
At 30 mph, cars seem as if they are speeding on the dusty road of Qarrara, avillage just south of Abu Ali checkpoint and a few minutes north of KhanYounis, in the middle of the Gaza Strip. The checkpoint is open now. F-16sare rumbling overhead on their way to terrorize Rafah. Israeli soldiers areshooting in Mawasi.
It’s been a long wait for thousands of Palestinians milling about in thedesecrated fields and road leading to the checkpoint. This is simply to passfrom north to south in the Gaza Strip. The heavily armed Israelis sitting insniper towers at the checkpoint may shoot to frighten or to kill. It is thelocal Israeli military government that gives the order to open or close acheckpoint. They arrive in a white jeep. These are also the people who oftencrawl through the streets, taunting and shouting that curfew is imposed.
Last night when the checkpoint finally opened after hours of waiting,hundreds of Palestinians walked past carrying their belongings. One manamong the exhausted fell down on the street. He was on the ground for fiveminutes surrounded by people trying to help him. He got up and kept walking.
Palestinians have been waiting for days to enter Mawasi, a 12 km long and 1km wide strip of land almost on the Mediterranean, just west of Qarrara. Itis divided in to two main areas, Khan Younis Mawasi and Rafah Mawasi, and issurrounded by illegal Israeli settlements. Under international law, allIsraeli settlements are illegal.
Today was the third day of waiting at this checkpoint, called Tufah, on theroad between Khan Younis and Mawasi. To enter or exit Mawasi Palestiniansmust wait for days or months. Israel will not allow Palestinians access tothe beach or to most of their land. This is considered a “yellow” area. Itis not Area A, B, or C. Some refer to it “C Extra,” or “Special C.” It isunder such Israeli control that Palestinians are not even allowed to haverunning water.
When the Tufah checkpoint opened three days ago it was after 20 days ofclosure. Palestinians spend the day waiting, never knowing when it willopen, but must seek shelter at night away from the checkpoint in KhanYounis. Israeli soldiers spend the nights shooting from their towers intothe refugee camp and waiting area. An 80-year old woman showed me herIsraeli issued I.D. card that proves to them she is a resident of Mawasi,”like in prison.” This is similar to the cards issued to all Gazans byIsrael when they were allowed to leave the Gaza Strip long ago if theyunderwent a search and swiped their cards through a machine on their way inand out. The letters on the card are written in Hebrew. The elderly woman,dressed in black, is a number in the thousands.
A boy about 15 showed me his card and the plastic holder where the Israelisoldiers wrote his Malwasi ID number. He asked me to write down his numberand do something on his behalf. Local volunteers told me that the waitingPalestinians and I would be shot at if I even took a photograph here.
A young boy, saying he is 13 years old but looking 9, waits everyday with 10other kids. They work at the checkpoint. When trucks come to deliver foodonly a few are allowed passage when the checkpoint is open. Israel gives ordenies permission. The job of the young boys is to ride with the trucksthrough the checkpoint. Israel will not allow any truck without at least 3people in it to pass. Israel requires this is in case the truck blows up.The little boy stands in front of me offering a tangerine.
Two UN trucks full of sacks of food turned around and left. There is anillegal Israeli settlement called Tel Katifa surrounding the Tufah area ofKhan Younis Mawasi. The population of the settlement is 2 Israelis on 176dunams of land. There are over 3,000 Palestinians in Khan Younis Mawasi. The2 settlers have 2 km of the Mediterranean beach for their personal use. ThePalestinians have none.
A family of seven, including two small children, sat against a stone wall onthe ground. They had several bags with them and waved me over. This familyhas been sitting here for two days. They went to Khan Younis from Mawasi formedical service. The repressive closure of this area of Mawasi has chokedthe population to the point, according to the Palestinian Center for HumanRights and many other NGOs, that there are no basic services except for aschool for the children. Fishing and agriculture are disallowed by Israelipolicy. There is no infrastructure, no electricity or water. ForPalestinians cultivation of their own land is prohibited by Israel. I amtold, “you can see with your own eyes,” but the Israeli military me to passthrough.
Kristen Ess
Qarrara, Gaza Strip
Occupied Palestine