Between the Sheikh Saad and Al-Shayah checkpoints, students are stuck in a cycle of waiting and complicated procedures
For the fifth consecutive day, Israeli occupation authorities have kept the Al-Shayah checkpoint closed. This checkpoint, which divides East Jerusalem from Jabal al-Mukabber, worsens the hardship for hundreds of students and residents.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Jerusalem reported that closing the Al-Shayah checkpoint has directly harmed students at all levels, including university and working individuals, who now must rely on the Sheikh Saad checkpoint as their sole alternative to access Jerusalem.
Around 500 students queue daily at the Sheikh Saad checkpoint, causing notable absences and delays recently, as students struggle to arrive on time, residents told the Wadi Hilweh Information Center.
The center, citing residents, explained that students, especially children and those with special needs, are facing severe humanitarian issues. They often have to wait for hours and sometimes cannot cross because of extreme overcrowding. The checkpoint's closure has added more difficulties for residents, who now have to travel farther between checkpoints to escort their children to Sheikh Saad and wait until they cross.
Residents noted that school buses waiting outside the checkpoint leave on schedule before students arrive, causing delays in crossing procedures that force them to use private transportation.
The occupation authorities sometimes justify new restrictions by citing the "absence of students' names on the lists of those permitted entry." Residents highlight that this measure was not used in previous years and did not prevent students from reaching their schools in Jerusalem. They also pointed out that the treatment at checkpoints is inconsistent, making the inspection process even more complicated.
The occupation authorities closed the Sheikh Saad and Shayah checkpoints for 40 days during the recent Israeli-Iranian-American conflict, reopening them after the ceasefire was announced. However, they closed the Shayah checkpoint again last Thursday without providing any explanation.
The Sheikh Saad checkpoint enables residents of Al-Sawahreh Al-Sharqiya, Jabal Al-Mukabber, and the Sheikh Saad area to enter Jerusalem. Meanwhile, the Shayah checkpoint was reserved for students and residents listed on specific lists to access the city.
Ziad al-Shamali, head of the Parents' Committee, highlighted that students living outside the wall in al-Sawahreh al-Sharqiya are suffering more than ever. He pointed out that denying them passage through the al-Shayah checkpoint without reason and arbitrary treatment deny their right to education. He also noted that overcrowding and complicated procedures at the Sheikh Saad checkpoint make going to school a daily challenge that consumes time and effort.
