The daily commute for Palestinians in the West Bank is a journey fraught with obstacles. What should be a short trip between cities and villages often turns into an agonizing wait, severely impacting daily life. The reality on the ground, especially along the Hebron-Ramallah route, reveals a landscape fragmented by checkpoints and barriers, effectively redrawing the map according to military dictates.
The ordeal begins at the entrance to Dura, south of Hebron, where earth mounds and rocks have blocked the main road for months. This forces residents to navigate treacherous and dangerous alternative routes in a desperate search for a connection to their cities. These muddy, pothole-ridden detours have become an inescapable part of daily life. Drivers are compelled to use them despite the risks, as there is no alternative allowing for normal movement within the province.
Less than half a kilometer away, a yellow iron gate obstructs the entrance to the village of Qalqas, manned by Israeli soldiers who prevent residents from passing. This has resulted in university students missing crucial lectures. One student shared that her daily tardiness has become a constant, and she even missed an entire exam due to the checkpoint closures, negatively affecting her academic performance and morale.
At the Al-Fahs entrance, a key access point to Hebron, another iron gate remains closed for extended periods. The movement of residents is reduced to a series of exhausting transfers between gates and soldiers, disrupting their affairs and complicating their daily routines. The situation becomes even more critical at the northern entrance to Hebron, where patients are transferred from one ambulance to another because medical vehicles are denied passage, even in emergency situations.
From there begins the long journey towards the ‘Container’ checkpoint. The road stretches across a series of barriers and settlements that separate the southern West Bank from its central region, transforming intercity travel into a daily battle of endurance. According to UN maps, there are over 900 Israeli checkpoints and gates throughout the West Bank, severely restricting the movement of Palestinians.
