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Reihan, Thu 14.2.08, Morning

Place: Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint
Tags: Slow passage
Observers: Habie N., Raya Z. (reporting)
Feb-14-2008
| Morning
06:20 – 09:10
06:20 – Aanin checkpoint
Drizzle. We were told that there were about 30 people awaiting passage.
Passage is like in recent days, slow. Rain or shine .
N. says that recently residents of the village are kept away from the fence. they are prevented from getting to houses located near the fence and up to the fence itself.
Shepherds  herding their sheep were detained at the gate. A 14 years old boy who is  slightly mentally challenged, along with some of his friends had burned a tire near the lower gate and was detained for about two weeks.
He was finally freed but his family had to pay a fine of NIS 1,000.00
07:10 – Shaked
Despites the rain, traffic is heavy. Children go through swiftly , they are not required to stand in line. A few women with small children wait to go through in the rain and there is no shelter in place.
Otherwise passage runs smoothly.
07:40 – Reihan
Traffic is heavy here as well. People come and go.
There are 7 vans loaded with vegetables.
E. a taxi driver was involved in automobile accident by the bridge and was  taken to the hospital. I tried talking with him on the phone but reception was poor.
Five more vehicles are awaiting inspection. The first driver is on his way home in Barta'a  from his night shift in Jenin. He says that he has been waiting there for 20 minutes. Prior to that he had to wait in Mevoh Dotan for about 10 minutes. We timed his extra waiting (from 08:18  to 08:33)  and then four vehicles went in at the same time. I couldn't see when exactly he had left but as we were leaving, at 09:10 we watched the last out of four cars drive away.
Again there is a line of six cars. Car number 5 which has been waiting since 08:18 has yet to enter the inspection area.

  • Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint

    See all reports for this place

    • This checkpoint is located on the Separation Fence route, east of the Palestinian town of East Barta’a. The latter is the largest Palestinian community inside the seam-line zone (Barta’a Enclave) in the northern West Bank. Western Barta’a, inside Israel, is adjacent to it. The Checkpoint is open all week from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Since mid-May 2007, the checkpoint has been managed by a civilian security company subordinate to the Ministry of Defense. People permitted to cross through this checkpoint into and from the West Bank are residents of Palestinian communities inside the Barta’a Enclave as well as West Bank Palestinian residents holding transit permit. Jewish settlers from Hermesh and Mevo Dotan cross here without inspection. A large, modern terminal is active here with 8 windows for document inspection and biometric tests (eyes and fingerprints).  Usually only one or two  of the 8 windows are in operation. Goods,  up to medium commercial size, may pass here from the West Bank into the Barta’a Enclave.  A permanent registered group of drives who have been approved by the may pass with farm produce. When the administration of the checkpoint was turned over to a civilian security firm, the Ya’abad-Mevo Dotan Junction became a permanent checkpoint. . It is manned by soldiers who sit in the watchtower and come down at random to inspect vehicles and passengers (February 2020).

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