By ActiveStills

ach year in the month of Ramadan, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in the West Bank have to deal with the entangled bureaucracy of the Israeli authorities, and a complicated web of military checkpoints – a series of obstacles which often prevent them from visiting holy sites, holiday spots – and their relatives.

Crossing from the occupied territories to visit East Jerusalem – itself deemed occupied West Bank territory – residents must pass through Qalandiya, a huge checkpoint akin to an airport terminal or other international border post.

Permits to enter Israel are only available to men over the age of 40, and women over the age of 35. Children under 12 are not required to have permits during Ramadan, but must still find a relative or guardian with a permit in order to cross at Qalandiya.

Photographers from the Active Stills collective followed Palestinian families throughout Ramadan, crossing the checkpoints, visiting Al-Aqsa Mosque, and taking a trip to the beach to celebrate Eid al-Fitr – the conclusion of the holy month.

(Photo credits: Yotam Ronen, Oren Ziv, Ahmad Al-Bazz, Nidal Elwan, Tali Mayer – ActiveStills.org)