Eyal Crossing, Irtah (Sha’ar Efrayim), Fri 26.10.12, Morning
Irtah, Dawn shift
5.00 As we had an appointment on this day with Yiftach Elad, the manager of the terminal we were at Irtah perfectly on time. Although I realized it was “Eid al Adha”or ”Feast of the Sacrifice”I hoped the secular laborers would be able to go to their workplaces, this Friday-morning if they choose so. But the ministry of defense ”dances on two weddings” and closes the border-passages not only on Jewish holidays but takes advantage for an extra vacation-day for the workers of the terminal on Muslim feasts as well. In other words, we were not the only sacrifices on the altar of the Occupation {J} and rose so early for nothing: terminal closed, andno manager either.
We went to look if the area at the Palestinian entrance was taken care of and noticed that it was clean this time.
The silence that prevailed in the area was a few minutes later only broken by the call of the muezzin we could hear coming from the minaret far away.
This time no one of the IDF-personnel came to check on us, although very likely someone from the nearby watchtower, overseeing the whole area, must have spotted us there.
We drove to the – also closed- terminal Eyal to try to see if there is progress with the expansion of this terminal, but could only see that the bare electricity cables we saw last time had now disappeared [/were connected.?]. Maybe next time we can get more information about this.
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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