North West Bank: Fence breaches are closing
A. called, a young man from one of the villages in the north-western part of the West Bank. We’re in touch for years now, and he is very dear to me. He said that in the daytime soldiers stand by the popular holes in the Separation Fence, and it’s become quite difficult to pass from the West Bank to one’s workplace in the seam-zone or inside Israel. At the checkpoints, any Palestinians below the age of 45 are not allowed through since the attack on Gaza began, and thus family men with regular jobs inside Israel must stay home. Others too, who used to cross over through the holes in the fence and on a good day brought some money home. What does one do? Goes crazy with frustration. Some do cross through distant holes in the dark, wee hours of the night, go wherever they go through the wild or olive groves, and return in the afternoon through checkpoints that do not check the returnees. I’ve been at home all week, he says, did nothing except go crazy. I have work, I am needed, and I cannot make any money.
M. calls, asking me to find out for him whether tomorrow the agricultural checkpoint he usually crosses will be opened, with the situation as it is. At the DCO I was told that it would be opened. Sure? Sure. Another authorized source said that unfortunately it will not be opened. Finally, M. didn’t leave. From home he saw that people were working at the checkpoint, closing the large hole. Another large hole was closed by soldiers opposite Umm Al Fahm. Many people have thus lost a significant source of livelihood they had enjoyed throughout this last year.
Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint
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This checkpoint is located on the Separation Fence route, east of the Palestinian town of East Barta’a. The latter is the largest Palestinian community inside the seam-line zone (Barta’a Enclave) in the northern West Bank. Western Barta’a, inside Israel, is adjacent to it. The Checkpoint is open all week from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Since mid-May 2007, the checkpoint has been managed by a civilian security company subordinate to the Ministry of Defense. People permitted to cross through this checkpoint into and from the West Bank are residents of Palestinian communities inside the Barta’a Enclave as well as West Bank Palestinian residents holding transit permit. Jewish settlers from Hermesh and Mevo Dotan cross here without inspection. A large, modern terminal is active here with 8 windows for document inspection and biometric tests (eyes and fingerprints). Usually only one or two of the 8 windows are in operation. Goods, up to medium commercial size, may pass here from the West Bank into the Barta’a Enclave. A permanent registered group of drives who have been approved by the may pass with farm produce. When the administration of the checkpoint was turned over to a civilian security firm, the Ya’abad-Mevo Dotan Junction became a permanent checkpoint. . It is manned by soldiers who sit in the watchtower and come down at random to inspect vehicles and passengers (February 2020).
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