Checkpoints and Scanners: Ensuring Safety in Northern Gaza

Thousands of displaced Palestinians pass through checkpoints in northern Gaza, where Egyptian contractors and a U.S. security firm inspect vehicles for concealed weapons. The checks, aided by Egyptian-Qatari committee personnel, include scanning and thorough inspection to ensure no weapons or explosives make it through.

In northern Gaza, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are navigating a system of checkpoints as they return to their homes. At these checkpoints, Egyptian contractors, with assistance from a U.S. private security firm, are conducting thorough inspections to prevent concealed weapons from entering the area.

According to observers, the checkpoints are primarily staffed by Egyptian security personnel. Team members, identifiable by their black jackets marked 'Egyptian-Qatari Committee,' efficiently manage the scanning of vehicles. Armed Egyptian security forces remain on standby, positioned just outside the main inspection zones.

The procedure, which reportedly takes only a few minutes per vehicle, requires all passengers to exit, while the driver proceeds to a drive-in inspection point. Here, scanners check for weapons and explosives. Meanwhile, along the Netzarim corridor, Hamas police and engineering units with sniffer dogs ensure the roadways remain secure from unexploded ordnance.

(With inputs from agencies.)