Eyal Crossing, Irtah (Sha’ar Efrayim), Mon 12.4.10, Morning
Irtach –
04:10 There was quick movement of people through the stations. At first, there were 3 stations open and, after a few minutes, 4. By 4:35 the line for the entrance carousel, behind the inspection building, became quite short. Occasionally, people are asked to return and take their possessions including metal objects through the x-ray gate rather than putting them on the small table at the entrance. They pass through the carousels at the entrance at a rate of between 0-6-40 (?) each time the gates are released. During the period between 4:30-5:00, there were 2 delays in letting people enter the courtyard and the inspection building. The first delay was short, but the second, around 5:00, lasted 6 minutes. During this half hour it was also raining, not too hard, for several minutes, so that there was a lot of crowding in the entrance line. Two people – men – were turned back completely during our shift.
A little before 5:00, there was a mass prayer in the lot next to the shed with benches.
5:20 – Eyal
As you know, we could only observe the movement of those exiting – 4 stations were operating and there was quick movement of people. We waited until around 6:00 and then returned to Tel Aviv.
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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