On the way we saw soldiers attacking a hill, why?
05:45 – Barta’a Reihan Checkpoint, Seamline Zone Side
Many cars were driving ahead of us towards the checkpoint to pick up workers. Other transport vehicles were already parked near the opening to the sleeve on the seamline zone side, and many people were sitting on the curb or waiting under the shelter. When we went to walk down the sleeve to the terminal entrance we met our friends the seamstresses on their way up who work in Barta’a. Many workers were coming out of the terminal and some stopped to buy coffee, cakes, and phone cards at the settler’s kiosk. Hannah climbed onto the bench to peek over the fence. The parking lot was full and people who arrived entered the terminal immediately. There were two sophisticated modern biometric inspection points operating inside the terminal. A publicity film was already released about them. People were passing through quickly and people were pleased. Only one person complained that the conveyer belt for inspecting items was operating slowly. Others claimed that there were two inspection points and that the inspection went quickly. A real “garden of Eden” of occupation.
The increase in the number of people crossing here is due to a decision two weeks ago to allow residents of the Jenin vicinity who have permits to work in Israel to cross at Barta’a in the mornings. The owner of the kiosk is also enjoying the decision and has hired two women and a man to assist him. According to one of the women, about 1500 people cross here every morning, including residents of Kafin (despite the fact that they “belong” to the District Coordination and Liaison Office in Tulkarem). According to her, even more people cross in the afternoon because not everyone is aware of the new decision to allow them to cross here in the morning as well. It looked to us as if there were more than 1500 people crossing.
06:30 – Aanin Checkpoint
The soldiers were already there and opened the checkpoint on time. 11 adults, two children, and a tractor crossed.
06:55 – Tibeh – Romena Checkpoint
The soldiers were already in place and were waiting to open the checkpoint at 07:00. They are punctual. They performed a sort of strange ceremony in which they changed places, a sort of dance, before the checkpoint opened. It was not clear why they had to open the gate on the seamline zone side when there has been a wide opening in the fence next to it for some time. Nine people, a woman, two children, and a tractor crossed. The gate had to be opened wide to let the tractors cross. Another woman arrived at the last minute. The soldiers asked if there was anyone else and she replied that her sister was coming. The two sisters crossed. They belong to the Jabarin clan from Um el Fahem, some of whom have been living in Romena since 1948.
On our way back near the upper entrance to Um el Fahem we saw an army vehicle parked and soldiers running from it up the hill, but we didn’t know why.
'Anin checkpoint (214)
See all reports for this place-
'Anin checkpoint (214)
'Anin checkpoint is located on the Separation Fence east of the Israeli community Mei Ami and close to the village of Anin in the West Bank. It is opened twice a week, morning and afternoon, on days with shorter light time, for Anin farmers whose olive groves have been separated from the village by the fence it became difficult to cultivate their land. Transit permits are only issued to those who can produce ownership documents for their caged-in land, and sometimes only to the head of the family or his widow, eldest son, and children. Sometimes the inheritors lose their right to tend to the family’s land. The permits are eked out and are re-issued only with difficulty. 55-year-old persons may cross the checkpoint (into Israel) without special permits. During the olive harvest season (about one month around October) the checkpoint is open daily and more transit permits are issued. Names of persons eligible to cross are held in the soldiers’ computers. In July 2007, a sweeping instruction was issued, stating that whoever does not return to the village through this checkpoint in the afternoon will be stripped of his transit permit when he shows up there next time. Since 2019, the checkpoint has not been allways locked with the seam-line zone gate (1 of 3 gates), and the fence around it has been broken in several sites.
-
Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint
See all reports for this place-
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).
-
Tayba-Rummana
See all reports for this place-
Tayba-Rummana is an agricultural checkpoint. It is located in the separation fence in front of the eastern slopes of the Israeli city of Umm al-Fahm. The Palestinian villages next to the checkpoint are Khirbet Tayba and Rummana. Dozens of dunams of olive groves were removed from their owners, the residents of these villages on the western side of the separation fence. The Palestinian villages next to the checkpoint are Khirbet Tayba and Rumna. Dozens of olives dunams were removed from these villages' residents and swallowed up in a narrow strip of space, on the western side of the separation fence. The checkpoint allows the plantation owners who have permits to pass. Twice a week, the checkpoint opens for fifteen minutes in the morning and evening. During the harvest season, it opens every day for fifteen minutes in the morning (around 0630) and fifteen minutes in the afternoon (around 1530). (February 2020).
-