Approximately 300 residents of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, living alongside Israeli spouses and family members with family unification permits, reside beyond the Green Line in the Shu'fat refugee camp and nearby neighborhoods. Since the onset of the war on October 7th, they have been prohibited from crossing into Jerusalem through the Shu'afat refugee camp checkpoint near their homes. Only those with recorded addresses in the Palestinian town of 'Anata were permitted to cross.
On December 18, 2023, ACRI and HaMoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual filed a petition (Hebrew) with the High Court of Justice on behalf of four Palestinians with family unification permits who were barred from crossing the Shu'afat checkpoint. The petition argues that, despite police claims of no concrete directive, officers on the ground prevent their passage through the Shu'afat checkpoint and redirect them to more distant checkpoints. The lack of public transportation from the refugee camp neighborhoods makes reaching these remote checkpoints reliant on others' goodwill and costly taxis. The police argue that crossing the checkpoint is forbidden for anyone with an address on their Palestinian ID card not listed as 'Anata, a town near the checkpoint. However, residents attempting to change their addresses in the Palestinian population registry were told that Israel prohibited it.
The petition contends that closing the checkpoint to residents, who work, receive services, and have children studying in the city, violates their rights to livelihood, freedom of movement, family integrity, equality, and dignity.
Remarkably, on December 19, 2023, just one day after the petition was submitted, we were informed that all residents with permits successfully crossed the checkpoint without encountering any issues.