Friday 18 February 2005, 3:13 Makka Time, 0:13 GMT

A Palestinian woman has been forced to deliver her baby at an Israeli checkpoint in the West Bank.

Aljazeera correspondent Jivara al-Bidairi said the 25-year-old woman was forced to give birth to her baby at the Qalandia military checkpoint on Thursday after Israeli soldiers blocked her passage.

The permanent roadblock separates Jerusalem from Ram Allah. It is estimated that there are more than 700 Israeli checkpoints across the occupied Palestinian territories, some permanent, others constructed and removed without notice.

They hinder Palestinians seeking medical attention and those going about their ordinary lives. Queues and closures at checkpoints can turn a 20-minute journey into an hours-long ordeal.

It was the first time Aljazeera was on hand to record a woman in labour being prevented from proceeding to the maternity ward to deliver her child.

Going into labour

The woman, a resident of Jerusalem, who gave only her first name, Nivin, found herself in labour at the checkpoint on her way to al-Quds hospital. Her pleas to Israeli occupation soldiers to allow her through were to no avail.

She waved down a passing car for help and almost immediately gave birth to a baby boy.

"I had only a few minutes before the baby came out while I was in the car," said Nivin.

"No offer of assistance came from the occupation soldiers, such as calling an ambulance" she said.

Coincidental ambulance

"It was a mere coincidence that an ambulance carrying another patient with a critical case passed by, saw me and called another ambulance that came moments later and picked me up," she said.

The baby's Palestinian father said he was anxious about the baby. "Who can restore dignity to us as human beings in this country?"

A nurse at the hospital where Nivin was taken said: "The baby was brought [to us] in a miserable condition, shivering from cold with sputum coming from its mouth, but we made the necessary arrangements."

The boy was named Abd Allah.