Rihan and Shaked checkpoints, Sunday 25.6.06 a.m.Observers: Sandra R. and Hana H. (reporting)06:30 – 09:40 06:30 -Rihan checkpointThe upper park car area if full of people and drivers awaiting transportation. We were told that the checkpoint was opened at 05:30.Passage of workers is on-going and there are no people waiting at the gate. The time workers spend between the first and the second gate is 9 minutes.One car with agriculture merchandise is being inspected and 2 other cars awaits inspection at the Palestinian parking lot.07:10 – Shaked checkpointThe gate is open and people go through in both directions, there are farming workers and families with children. There is a tractor from the seam line zone which goes to Tura and donkeys and a wagon with children, passage is uneventful.A youngster from Tura who is on his way for a social visit at the seam line zone, complains that because of the checkpoints at Beit-Iba he discontinued his studies at the university of Nablus. Now he can not find employment in the west bank and is unable even to emigrate.08:10 – Rihan checkpointOne car with merchandise is under inspection, which takes about 45 minutes. 6 others cars are waiting at the Palestinian car park area, there is an on-going slow passage of vehicles to both directions. Today we are forbidden to get closer to the vehicles inspection posts.Pedestrians passage goes uneventful to both directions and there is no line by the gate until 09:00, when apparently soldiers are having their breakfast, or there might be a change of shifts. Passage is brought to halt and people accumulate by the gate in a line under the heat of the mid morning sun.In the Palestinian parking lot there is an increase of peddles selling food and beverages.Saeid is back selling beverages as well as beans and Lupine and there is another peddler selling Kabab.A resident of Hermesh who, of course can move freely, complains that he works in Karkur with Palestinian construction workers holding proper work permits yet they are forces to get into Israel through Tul-Karem causing him lose of many work hours.Translation: Yael Bassis-Student