This project focuses on documenting the checkpoints and barriers in the West Bank, which now exceed 600 in number. These gates aim to restrict Palestinian movement and create significant obstacles to their daily lives, reflecting the complexities of the occupation and its impact on both people and space.

The project highlights the geographical and architectural aspects of these gates, which are often located at the entrances to cities and villages or at key points connecting major roads. The designs of these gates vary from simple metal barriers to complex structures equipped with watchtowers and cameras, making them integrated systems for surveillance and control. Over time, these gates have evolved into permanent military crossings, similar to the main checkpoints that separate the West Bank from the occupied Palestinian territories, thus intensifying geographical and social fragmentation.

I began this project by documenting the gates in my hometown of Hebron and Ramallah. In Hebron, where my maternal family is from, I focused on the gates separating neighborhoods from agricultural areas. In Ramallah, I documented the gates linking major roads with surrounding areas. However, I have only managed to document a limited number of these gates so far in those regions.

What stands out about these military gates is the lack of a fixed schedule for their opening or closing. They can be shut unexpectedly at any time, completely paralyzing the movement of the city or village.

This ongoing project aims to provide a visual narrative that illustrates the impact of these gates on Palestinian lives and their relationship with their land, and how they reshape geography and architecture to serve the goals of control and isolation.

Resources:

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
A report from August 2023 indicates that there are more than 600 physical barriers in the West Bank, including permanent and intermittent checkpoints, roadblocks, and barriers, which disrupt Palestinian movement and exacerbate geographical and social separation.

Institute for Palestine Studies
This source highlights the effect of these barriers on Palestinian movement and daily life, particularly with the increase of mobile or “flying” checkpoints, which may increase during certain periods.

These sources reflect the current situation of these barriers and their effects on Palestinian residents, and can be referenced to document the military and humanitarian impacts of the project.