Checkpoint 300

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Checkpoint 300 in 2014 Checkpoint 300 (cropped).jpg
Checkpoint 300 in 2014

Checkpoint 300 (Arabic : حاجز 300, romanized: Ḥājiz 300; Hebrew : מחסום 300, romanized: Machsom 300), also known as the Bethlehem checkpoint, the Gilo Checkpoint, or the Rachel's Tomb checkpoint, is a major Israeli checkpoint run by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and located at one of the main exits of Bethlehem. [1] [2] It is the best known of all Israeli checkpoints, due to its use by large amounts of Palestinian commuters as well as its location on the tourist route between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, as well as the large amounts of Palestinian commuters who have utilize the checkpoint every day. [2]

Contents

As of August 2025, Checkpoint 300 remains open, one of three checkpoints that allows people with Palestinian Authority ID cards (and work permits) to cross into Israel. [a] [3] [4]

Location

The checkpoint is built into the West Bank barrier, and is about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of the Green Line. The building is located entirely within the West Bank, Palestine. [3] [5] It is also located on the road which, historically, ran between Jerusalem and Hebron, but the road is currently blocked by the barrier wall. [2] [b]

Nearby landmarks on the Jerusalem side include Rachel's Tomb (also known as Al-Aqsa Mosque). [5] On the Bethlehem side is The Walled Off Hotel. [6]

History

People have crossed between Jerusalem and Bethlehem for as long as people have lived in the two areas. The checkpoint is more recent; it began in the 1990s as a temporary checkpoint, built with sandbags and cement blocks and manned by soldiers who checked Palestinian documents as they entered Jerusalem. The checkpoint in its current format as a "terminal checkpoint" was established in 2005. [2]

The checkpoint building was renovated in 2010, 2014, and 2019. The 2019 renovation included new "welcome" signs and biometric "smart gates". Qalandia checkpoint received a similar upgrade around the same time. [5] [7]

Prior to the October 7 attacks and subsequent escalations in the Gaza war, Checkpoint 300 Palestinians with entry permits were allowed through, according to B'Tselem. [8]

In 2019, an estimated 15,000 people passed through the checkpoint "on busy mornings." [2] In August 2025, Machsom Watch reported that significantly fewer people–"only a few hundred"–move into Jerusalem through the checkpoint per day, and many busses leave the nearby bus stop empty or with only a few passengers. [4]

Operations

According to Machsom Watch, the checkpoint is manned at all times. Vehicles with Israeli plates may pass through at all hours, provided the people in the car have Israeli or Jerusalem IDs or foreign passports and the inspector is not busy. [4]

Conditions are different for Palestinians. Palestinian vehicles may not enter at this checkpoint; Palestinians must travel into Jerusalem on foot. The checkpoint is primarily available for day commuters, so the Bethlehem side is open until 12:30pm and the Jerusalem side closes at 5:00pm. A Palestinian worker who is late to the checkpoint or forgets to scan their card is subject to punishment, including revocation of their work permit, sometimes for weeks or months at a time. [4]

Turnstiles, fingerprint and iris scanners, metal detectors, and x-ray machines are used to control movement, verify identity, and inspect travelers for contraband. [2]

Criticism

In March 2016, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth criticized the overcrowding at the checkpoint and the attitude of the Israeli authorities towards the Palestinians. In December 2020, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel filed a petition to the Israeli Supreme Court on the same topic. [9] Israeli human-rights association Machsom Watch has also criticized the conditions of the Bethlehem checkpoint.[ citation needed ] Author Mark Griffiths reported in 2025 that passing through the checkpoint takes between 40 minutes and two hours. [5]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The other two are Qalandia checkpoint and the checkpoint at al-Zaytun (Ras Abu Sbitan).
  2. ↑ Rijke page 17

References

  1. ↑ Israel’s Checkpoint 300: Suffocation and broken ribs at rush hour Archived 2021-05-01 at the Wayback Machine , Al Jazeera
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rijke, Alexandra (2019-11-15). "The land of the checkpoints: Study of the daily geographies of checkpoints in the Occupied Palestinian Territories". Wageningen UR Facilitair Bedrijf. doi:10.18174/501665 – via Academia.edu.
  3. 1 2 "New Checkpoints, Gates, and Procedures Paralyze Palestinian Mobility across the West Bank, Including East Jerusalem". Jerusalem Story Project. Archived from the original on 2025-06-09. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Ginsburg, Natanya; Tueg, Anat; Barag, Hanna (2025-08-06). "Jerusalem: "Mufti's House" on Mount Olives is slated for demolition within a week". Machsom Watch. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Griffiths, Mark (2025-08-16). "Oppression Starts With Concrete and Ends With the Mind at West Bank Crossing". Truthout. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  6. ↑ "Welcome to the Walled Off: A visit to Banksy's hotel in Bethlehem". The Jerusalem Post. 2018-03-17. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  7. ↑ Ashly, Jaclynn. "Palestinians wary of Israel's checkpoint changes". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  8. ↑ "Checkpoint 300". B'Tselem. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  9. ↑ "ACRI Files Urgent HCJ Petition Regarding Overcrowding at Checkpoint 300". Archived from the original on 2021-05-01. Retrieved 2021-05-01.

31°43′34″N35°12′14″E / 31.726°N 35.204°E / 31.726; 35.204

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