‘Anabta, Ar-Ras, Eyal, Irtah, Sun 21.10.07, Morning
Summary:
A strange Sunday not as usual. No pressure and the soldiers who are willing to speak to us also say it is strange. There is less and less dialogue with the soldiers….a blank wall.
Eyal -7.00
Usually there are 100s of people at the gate. Angry employers wait outside or give up and leave. The atmosphere is angry, tense, frustrated and at boiling pitch. The passage opened at 4.00. Unusually 4 posts were manned and not one or two as usual. Most of the workers have already passed and the buses wait for the families of the prisoners going to Ketziyot. Did the phone calls of Orna and Naomi to the commander asking for special measures to be taken to allow them to pass help?
The soldiers refuse to allow us into the spot from where we are we can see the terminal saying that it is a closed army area and we have no right to enter. We protest and go in quickly, size up the situation and leave. The commander explains that we are not allowed in the area and tells us when the checkpoint will open. We are not sure that they can actually forbid us to enter.
Irtach – 7.20
The checkpoint is almost empty and the families of the prisoners are getting into the buses.
The childrens' gate at A-Ras – 7.40
The soldier tries to give us a dig…"Why do the women of blue and white bring us cakes and you not?"
Checkpoint A-Ras.
Hardly any movement on either side. No limitations. The commander says that he also thinks there is less traffic today but does not know why.
8.15 Anabta.
20 cars at the exit.
'Anabta CP
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'Anabta CP
The checkpoint is located south of the village of 'Anabta, at the intersection of Road 60 (leading to Nablus at the entrance to Area A), with Road (57, 557, 5576) facing west towards the Einav settlement and the checkpoint at the exit from the West Bank - Figs checkpoint. Until 2010 we used to watch the intersection and report the long columns created due to a slow inspection of the vehicles in both directions.
Oct-28-2011Anabta checkpoint 24.10.11
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A-Ras (The Children Checkpoint)
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A-Ras (The Children Checkpoint)
On Tulkarm-Qalqiliya road (574), east of Hirbet Jubara. tia checkpoint is dedicated to residents traveling to and from Tulkarm, so they should not cross apartheid road 557 (only permissible for settlers).
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Eyal Checkpoint / Crossing
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Eyal Checkpoint is intended for pedestrians and Palestinians only. This is the main barrier for workers to cross from the center of the West Bank. Workers with a work permit to enter Israel can pass through it for trade, medicine, and visiting prisoners. The checkpoint was built on the Green Line north of Qalqilya in the separation barrier that surrounds the city. The checkpoint began operating in 2004 by the military. Opening hours on weekdays from 04:00 to 19:00. We started holding shifts there in 2007. We arrived at the checkpoint before it opened at 4 in the morning. We reported on the difficult conditions and the long and cramped queues of workers who must continue their journey by commuting to work throughout Israel. At the end of June 2009, the checkpoint was operated by a civil security company, The transit time has been gradually shortened, today it is faster, but the Palestinians still have to arrive very early to make it to the transportation. Usually, about 15,000 people pass through.
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Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim)
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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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