HEBRON, April 12, 2004 (WAFA) - "Can I carry your luggage, sir?" Subhi Abdullah 16, said to a traveller at al-Hawawer Israeli checkpoint in the West Bank city of Hebron, asking him to carry his suitcases for a handful of NISs (Israeli currency).... Subhi, together with other teens, have added a new job to the list of children employment as a result of living hardships caused by Israel.... According to the latest statistics of Palestine Central bureau of Statistics (PCBS), issued last week, the number of children working inside the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) is 40, 000 children, of whom 73% were forced to work due to bad financial situation.... Subhi approaches al-Hawawer checkpoint every morning, dragging his steel handcart, competing with his craft colleagues, asking travellers to carry their luggage to the other side of the checkpoint for two or three NIS.... An innocent smile appears at Subhi's face when one of the travellers complies with his demand. One can watch a complete impressive show when observing Subhi performing his job meticulously. He puts the luggage on his cart, and rapidly starts defying the heaps of stones and sands until he reaches his destination to drop off the charge. After this wearisome exertion, Subhi receives the return of his effort. With a sweaty body, Subhi hurries to make another deal with another customer.... "One man's poison is another man's meat", Subhi replied when asked about the Israeli checkpoints. Israeli checkpoints increase the Palestinians' sufferings, but to Subhi, they are otherwise. "After my father became jobless, I joined my age-mates to work at the checkpoint in order to support my 11-member family," Subhi added.... Subhi leaves home at daybreak. He first goes to school, then to the checkpoint, and comes back home with an exhausted body which has been pacing back and forth between both sides of the checkpoint to gain money which may help their poor situation.... "My studies have been negatively affected, I do not have enough time to study my lessons, I think it is useless", said Subhi with despair.... Aldul Rahman 14, of al-Khader village in Bethlehem, is not less vigorous than Subhi, but rather, he exerts more efforts due to the longer distance between the two sides of al-khader checkpoint.... Abdul Rahman has not quit school yet, but his love for his work is bigger than that for school. "I impatiently wait for the school bell to ring, and when it does, I directly rush to the checkpoint, leaving my school bag with my younger brother, who takes it home", Abdul Rahman said.... "I dislike staying at school, when the bell announces the end of school day, I take my handcart, which I leave beside my school, and head to the checkpoint", Abdul Rahman said, "when I reach the checkpoint, I start adventuring with my colleagues to get more travellers' bags and transfer them to the other side of the checkpoint".... At Wadi al-Nar checkpoint, no porter can do what Nazeeh Sa'eed does. The 17 year-old Sa'eed receives doubled receipts for his work, simply because no one dares doing it. "While most of travellers fear passing through the rocky mountain, I do it bravely for a doubled payment," Sa'eed said while he was heading to the foot of the mountain, carrying some hand bags.... Sa'eed said that one must be matchless and professional to gain more money, "therefore, I like driving risks because they allow me to obtain more money," Sa'eed added.... Checkpoints children or the "little porters" as some others call them, ease some of the traveller's sufferings and feel ten feet tall for the few NISs they receive for the service they offer. Those children had to do so, because of the poor financial situation they experience.... Had it not been for the Israeli occupation and its humiliating measures, "checkpoints children" would have been leading happy peaceful lives with their families. Those little boys relieve the travellers' sufferings and pains at the checkpoints, but no body ever asked who will relieve theirs....