Irtah (Sha’ar Efrayim), Fri 12.11.10, Morning
Translation: Suzanne O.
Artach
The roadblock opened after 5:00 a.m. By the time we arrived there was no one outside the roadblock at its western side yet, just drivers waiting to transport labourers.
At the entrance gate to the roadblock on its eastern side, there were many people waiting. The queue was quiet with no shouting to be heard and no attempts to jump the queue.
When we crossed to the exit side it was also quiet. People who spoke to us said that today is a good day, i.e.: perhaps an additional checkpoint was open. The time spent in the rooms was less.
The reason for the difference between this time and last time is not clear.
Those leaving through the revolving gate were relaxed. Many people drink coffee, pray, wash their faces and feet at the new washing area. Some had time to talk politics with us. Just one woman ran towards us and said that she is in a hurry but wanted to tell us that she had sat alone in a closed room and been inspected three times – she was very angry.
At 6:30 a.m. we came back.
Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim)
See all reports for this place-
The checkpoint is for Palestinians only. It is the main barrier to the passage of workers from the northern West Bank to Israel. Workers with a permit to work in Israel and also for trade (with appropriate permissions), medicine, and visiting prisoners. One can cross the checkpoint only on foot. The checkpoint is located north of Road 557 and south of Tulkarm. Operated by a civil security company, opening hours: between 4:00 and 19:00 on weekdays. As members of Machsom Watch, we began our shifts to this location in 2007. We arrived before it opened at 4 in the morning and report since, on the harsh conditions and the long and crowded queues of workers. The workers who pass by continue their journey by transportation to work throughout Israel. In the first period of its activity, about 3,000 and then 5,000 people passed through this checkpoint every day. Due to the small number of checking points and arbitrary delays for long periods of time in the "rooms", workers feared losing their transportation. Hence workers leave their homes at 2:30 at night to be among the first. Today, 15,000 pass and the transition is faster. Workers are still leaving their homes very early to get past the checkpoint at 7 p.m. In an adjacent compound, there is a terminal for the transfer of goods on a commercial scale, using the back-to-back method.
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