The isolated Palestinian village trapped behind Israeli checkpoints

[MIDDLE EAST] Nestled in the hills northwest of Jerusalem, the Palestinian village of Beit Iksa stands as a stark testament to the harsh realities of life under occupation in the West Bank. Once a thriving community with strong ties to Jerusalem and surrounding areas, Beit Iksa now finds itself in a state of forced isolation, cut off from the rest of the West Bank by a complex system of Israeli checkpoints, barriers, and restrictions. The village's 1,800 residents face daily challenges that have transformed their home into what many describe as an "open-air prison."

The Isolation of Beit Iksa

Beit Iksa's isolation began in the early 1990s when Israel started requiring Palestinians with West Bank ID cards to obtain permits to enter Jerusalem. The situation worsened dramatically in 2006 with the completion of Israel's separation barrier, which left Beit Iksa on the Jerusalem side but still inaccessible to most of its residents. The village is now surrounded by Israeli settlements and military installations, with a single checkpoint controlling all entry and exit.

The Checkpoint: A Daily Ordeal

The Israeli military checkpoint at the entrance of Beit Iksa has become the focal point of residents' frustrations and hardships. Murad Zayed, the mayor of Beit Iksa, explains the impact: "This barrier suffocates us, cuts off our communication with the world, and completely hinders our lives". The checkpoint, which includes a gate operated at the discretion of Israeli soldiers, has turned simple daily activities into arduous ordeals.

One particularly poignant example occurred on July 6, when a group of high school students was prevented from reaching their final exams in the nearby town of Biddu. "The students became extremely stressed and frustrated, so we had to transport them via an alternative route that crossed another much further away checkpoint," Zayed recounts. "Instead of five minutes, it took an hour and a half, and when we arrived, they were in a very bad psychological state".

The Human Cost of Isolation

The restrictions imposed on Beit Iksa have had far-reaching consequences on every aspect of residents' lives, from education and healthcare to economic opportunities and social connections.

Healthcare Challenges

Access to medical care has become a critical issue for Beit Iksa's residents. The checkpoint has created life-threatening situations, particularly for those requiring emergency medical attention. "Patients are obstructed from reaching hospitals, and some pregnant women were forced to give birth at the checkpoint because Israeli soldiers prevented them from crossing with no valid reasons," Mayor Zayed reports.

Economic Strangulation

The isolation has also taken a severe toll on Beit Iksa's economy. Since 2014, restrictions on entry to the village by non-resident Palestinians with West Bank ID cards have intensified, affecting traders, service providers, and even relatives. This has led to a significant decline in economic activity and construction within the village.

Kamal Hababeh, a former head of the Beit Iksa village council, notes the long-term impact: "People have slowly been moving out of the village since 2010, and this has greatly affected economic activity and construction". The exodus of residents, estimated at between 400 and 500 people since the construction of the separation barrier, further compounds the economic challenges faced by those who remain.

Daily Life Under Occupation

For the residents of Beit Iksa, the impact of these restrictions permeates every aspect of daily life, creating a sense of constant pressure and uncertainty.

Education Interrupted

The education of Beit Iksa's youth has been significantly disrupted by the checkpoint and movement restrictions. Students face daily challenges in reaching schools outside the village, with the constant threat of delays or denied passage affecting their academic performance and psychological well-being.

Fractured Families

The restrictions have also torn at the fabric of family and social life in Beit Iksa. Palestinians who are not residents of the village are prohibited from entering except through prior coordination with the Israeli army, and only for urgent reasons. This has led to painful separations and disrupted family gatherings, even during important religious holidays.

"For the first time this year, people were prevented from reaching Beit Iksa to visit relatives during Ramadan and Eid," Hababeh notes, highlighting the emotional toll of the isolation.

The Broader Context: West Bank Fragmentation

Beit Iksa's situation is not unique but rather a stark example of the broader fragmentation of the West Bank through Israeli policies and practices. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) documented the existence of 565 obstacles to movement in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, at the beginning of 2023.

These obstacles include:

• 49 permanent checkpoints
• 134 non-permanent checkpoints
• 304 road barricades, dirt barriers, and road gates
• 73 dirt walls, trenches, and other barriers

This extensive network of physical and administrative barriers serves to isolate Palestinian communities from one another, severely restricting freedom of movement and access to resources and services.

International Law and Human Rights Concerns

The situation in Beit Iksa and similar Palestinian communities raises serious questions about compliance with international law and human rights standards. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has stated that sections of the separation barrier route which run inside the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, violate Israel's obligations under international law.

In its 2004 advisory opinion, the ICJ called on Israel to:

• Cease construction of the barrier "including in and around East Jerusalem"
• Dismantle the sections already completed
• "Repeal or render ineffective forthwith all legislative and regulatory acts relating thereto"
• Despite these clear directives, the situation on the ground has only worsened for communities like Beit Iksa in the intervening years.

Looking to the Future

As Beit Iksa enters its second decade of severe isolation, the future of the village and its residents remains uncertain. The continued restrictions and the gradual exodus of residents raise concerns about the long-term viability of the community.

"If this continues, the future of the village will be very bleak indeed," warns Hababeh. The persistence of the current situation not only threatens the social and economic fabric of Beit Iksa but also stands as a significant obstacle to any future peace negotiations and the establishment of a viable Palestinian state.

The story of Beit Iksa is a microcosm of the larger Palestinian experience in the occupied West Bank. It highlights the human cost of occupation policies that fragment communities, restrict movement, and isolate populations. As international attention waxes and wanes, the residents of Beit Iksa continue to live their daily lives under extraordinary circumstances, their resilience tested by a system that treats their village as both home and prison.

The situation in Beit Iksa calls for urgent attention from the international community and policymakers. It underscores the need for a comprehensive approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that addresses not only high-level political issues but also the day-to-day realities faced by Palestinian communities living under occupation. Only through such an approach can the hope for a just and lasting peace be realized, one that respects the rights and dignity of all people in the region.