Reihan, Wed 18.11.09, Morning
At first we parked at the upper car park area and then we walked down inside the sleeve to the entrance of the upper terminal, all along under the eyes of soldiers at their observation posts above us.
From the entrance of the terminal we saw about 10 young Palestinians sitting on the bench opposite the inspection windows. ?They appeared tired and in despair. One of then, speaking English, explained that they all have problems with the "Tasreech" (passage permit), and they have been detained for more than an hour. One of them has been there for five hours. This is quite surprising, since that fellow got there long before the opening of the checkpoint. In just a few moments, as we spoke to that fellow, they were all called to the inspection chambers and we rushed to our car to get down to the Palestinian car park area to watch that group coming out of the terminal on their way to the West Bank. In 5 minutes that ordeal was over.
At the Palestinian car park area, things are as usual, drivers appear bored and idol they hurry towards us happily and as a few young people come out of the terminal they almost fight with each other over passengers.
Traffic of pedestrians on both sides of the gate is rather slow. Those who arrive, enters the terminal and in a matter of seconds are "swallowed" inside. A few vehicles carrying agriculture produce wait in line for inspection and the spirit of the upcoming holiday (next weekend) has yet to be felt. 11:45 – We left.
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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