‘Anabta, Eyal, Irtah (Sha’ar Efrayim), Jubara (Kafriat), Tue 26.5.09, Afternoon
15:30 Jubara
After a long discussion and a preaching about us ignoring our own safety, the new commander of the Figs Passage, agreed to open the gate to Juabra. According to him he had not heard of our existence, nor was he aware that anyone was visiting that checkpoint.
Our visit was short. The checkpoint was manned by nice reserve soldiers who offered us cold drinks and we offered ours to them. There were no detainees nor illegals and we returned safely to the passage.
14:15 Anabta
There were no queues on either side. The improvement work of the checkpoint was visibly over and traffic was flowing with no inspections. Because of our bitter experience with the last checkpoint commander, who used to stop the traffic whenever we approached, this time we did not get near nor did we ask questions. The police were waiting for us as usual.
16:15 Irtach
At this hour very few are going through, and despite there being only one operational check post the passage through is rapid. An Israeli from Um el Fahem is standing near us, waiting. He tells us of his Palestinian cousin from Tulkarm who is married to his aunt from Um el Fahem , and they have three children. He is allowed to enter Israel and live and work there but he decided to visit his parents in Tulkarm. Usually they let him go through at the "Figs' Passage with no problems, and today they allowed him to go through that passage but not to come back. He had to go to Eyal Passage and wait there until they were available to inspect him. The cousin has been waiting since 15:30. He left at 17:00.
17:15 A long queue gathers. Many enter the carousels but no one is coming out. The carousel stops. More and more people are crowding by it. The queue reaches the parking lot and still no one leaves.
17:25 We ring the DCO. They explain that the workers are inspected 'one by one". Why are they being inspected upon entering the Occupied Territories? Why don't we see them coming out "one by one"? It turns out that only one check post is operating (out of 18). Until we left the queue remained long. Women were added to it – female workers who had worked in the strawberry fields (they even tried to offer us some).
By the way, we asked them about wages. Female agricultural workers get 100 IS a day. Skilled workers, especially when it come to building work and conversions can get up to 350 IS a day.
18:15 Eyal Passage
We left Iratch and were replaced by the Makhsom members who had just arrived from Eyal. They told us that all was peaceful there. We were happy to discover that they were right. We even received compliments from some workers: "It's because you are here". They told us that the present state of affairs exists now for a few days and even in the mornings there is an improvement. .
'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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