Eyal Crossing
Eyal checkpoint, 12.5.15
04:45 Dozens of cars are already parked at the checkpoint and buses also arrive, to pick up workers. At various corners Palestinians use the waiting time for prayers.
As soon as we’d parked one of the laborers approached us saying, “It’s like the stock market here, good one day, bad the next.”
He also mentioned how difficult it was in the rain; the shed isn’t large enough for all those waiting and they must crowd together, on top of each other.
Other laborers told us that “today’s OK,” the crossing takes about half an hour. Two people add that there are two lanes outside, which is fine, but inside there’s only one revolving gate to the inspection area and there’s congestion.
One laborer passed us angrily, said he waited an hour and a half and everything is shitty, no good.
In any case it’s hard to understand why it’s necessary to delay people very day even for half an hour, on top of the long hours they must spend coming from their village, and at the checkpoint area even before starting their workday. Why aren’t additional crossing lanes opened?
We left at 05:30.
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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