Eyal Crossing, Irtah (Sha’ar Efrayim), Thu 17.9.09, Afternoon
Irtah and Eyal, Thursday, 17.9.09 Afternoon
Translation: Bracha B.A.
Irtah Checkpoint – 3:50
We arrived at Irtah Checkpoint. At the exit from Tulkarem there were three men who claimed they had been waiting for an hour for the gate to open so they could enter Israel.
We crossed over to the other side and began to converse with an unseen voice by shouting across the space. An argument took place about the length of time people had to wait to enter. After 10 minutes we saw people coming out.
There is heavy traffic of workers but people continue moving without problems. All of them complain that the main problem is in the morning, when they must wait for hours. Before we continued to Eyal we passed through the entrance gate again and the scene repeated itself. People were waiting helplessly for someone to pay attention to them. Suddenly a woman’s voice sounded over the loudspeaker in Hebrew:” The office is closed now, go home.”| The people turned to us and explained: “But we have to go through the checkpoint, not go to the office.” We told them to tell that to the invisible voice, which could obviously hear. One of the people showed his permit through the fence and shouted: “I have permission to go through.”
The voice answered: “All right,” and the gate opened.
14:50 Eyal Checkpoint
Many people passing through but moving quickly within five minutes.
15:15 – Tzufim Checkpoint
No events were observed.
We passed through the Eliyahu Crossing through the special lane and 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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