‘Anabta, Eyal, Irtah, Jubara (Kafriat), Sun 24.8.08, Morning
Eyal Passage
07:00 – The parking lot is crowded with cars of employers waiting for workers. Hundreds of people waiting to enter Israel can be seen on the other side of the passage. The passage was presumably opened very late and part of the workers will not make it to work.
Irtah
07:15 – All the workers have passed. Some of the Palestinians are waiting to enter the DCO [District Coordination Office] in order to get permits of one kind or another.
Jubara
07:20 – A soldier comes languidly to open the gate for us. At both gates the traffic flows fast without any special delays.
On the gate at the entrance to Jubara and on the army concrete blocks at the Agriculture Workers' Gate and also in different places at Ar-Ras checkpoint, there are placards that we have already seen before in pictures from Beit Iba, on which, written in big letters, are the words "Many thanks to MachsomWatch for their help in our struggle", signed Terrorist Organizations.
We ask the soldiers that are standing near the Agriculture Gate about these placards. According to the soldiers, Blue and White women [right wing activists] come and bring them refreshment, talk and laugh with them, so, they explain, to shaw their gratitude they allow them to paste these placards. "If you have more questions," they add, ask the commanders."
On our way back, we take off the placard pasted on the entrance gate to Jubara.
We call A., the company commander, and he says that he is familiar with this thing and that he also punished one of the soldiers for not taking them off. We add that we haven't known that IDF facilities are actually the settlers' advertising board and if they are, maybe MachsomWatch can also use them to promote itself.
Anabta
08:00 – No lines. In both directions the passage is open.
'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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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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Jubara (Kafriat)
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The Jabra checkpoint was on Road 557, south of Tulkarm, on the side of the Figs Pass, which is located within the Palestinian Authority (a few kilometers east of the Green Line), and serves as an entry barrier from the territories to Israel. The checkpoint to the village of Jubara, which until 2013 was in the seam area, blocked and surrounded by a fence, was intended for the passage of the family members of the house next to the checkpoint, and also for the MachsomWatch volunteers (with special permission only), on their way to checkpoint 753. on the other side of the village. The soldiers supervising the "fig crossing" also supervised the crossing at this checkpoint, in our shifts we often waited a long time until the key was found and the gate opened. The checkpoint was abolished and became part of the separation fence that was moved west following the High Court.
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