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Eyal Crossing, Irtah (Sha’ar Efrayim), Wed 26.8.09, Afternoon

Place: Eyal Checkpoint / Crossing Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim)
Tags: Crowding Slow passage
Aug-26-2009
| Afternoon
Irtach checkpoint
15:20  Only one booth for checking the workers permits was operational (from among about 5 booths). The line of returning workers was growing longer by the minute, but they were going through reasonably quickly.

At 15:23 the trnstile was locked as the inner hall was full of workers; about 30 men were stuck outside in the sun. When the inner hall had emptied out more men were allowed through the turnstile until it was locked again. The usual waiting time was between 6 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile outside the crowd of men was growing as every few minutes the carousel was locked to allow the inner hall to empty out. The men graciously allowed one women who arrived at the checkpoint to go through ahead of them. The crowd outside was growing all the time and the men were getting angry that the carousel wasn't opened. They told us they were coming home earlier than usual because of Ramadan.


Eyal checkpoint
16:00  The workers were arriving and making their way with bags and baskets from the gate to the entrance to the checkpoint. 
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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.

  • 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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