Sansana (Meitar Crossing), Tarqumiya
Tarqumiya crossing
04:00 We left Shoket junction for Tarqumiya.
04:40 Tarqumiya. Many laborers and transport vehicles on the Israeli side. The line on the Palestinian side isn’t very long; people continue to join it.
04:45 The pens and fenced corridors are full. The revolving gates open. Congestion and pushing at the entrance to the pen.
04:47 The revolving gates close.
04:49 They open.
04:50 They close.
04:54 They open.
04:55 They close.
04:56 They open and close intermittently until 05:13 when we left Tarqumiya.
The youth selling coffee tells us that for a while now the crossing has opened at 03:45 on Sunday. The line wasn’t long while we were there, nor was the canopied area serving as the pen full; only the portion near the revolving gates was in use.
We left at 05:13 because each person who arrived immediately entered the canopied area.
Meitar-Sansana crossing
Unusually, the line here is long; two security guards stand at the revolving gate, facing the laborers. We’re told that earlier about 12 people climbed over those waiting and pushed to the front. The security guards said they had endangered those on line. Their IDs were confiscated as punishment; they were promised they’d be returned by 09:00.
The security guards stood there to ensure such incidents wouldn’t be repeated. A man who pushed ahead and reached the revolving gate while we were there was pulled out of line.
We left Meitar at 06:35 because there was no longer a line; each arrival entered immediately.
New! New! Two women arrive, go directly to the revolving gate, the security guards check their IDs and allow them to enter without waiting on line. They’ve also arranged an entrance with a sign for wheelchairs.
The number crossing, according to the international observers:
04:00-04:30 – 657
04:30-05:00 – 943
05:00-05:30 – 1066
05:30-06:00 – 995
06:00-06:30 – 1051
At this point we left. The security guard said more than 6,000 people cross on Sundays.
Meitar checkpoint / Sansana
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Meitar Checkpoint / Sansana The checkpoint is located on the Green Line and serves as a border crossing between Israel and the West Bank. It is managed by the Border Crossing Authority of the Defense Ministry. It is comprised of sections for the transfer of goods as well as a vehicle checkpoint (intended for holders of blue identity cards, foreign nationals or diplomats and international organizations). Passing of Palestinians is prohibited, except for those with entry permits to Israel. Palestinians are permitted to cross on foot only. The crossing has a DCO / DCL / DCL / DCL (District Coordination Office), a customs unit, supervision, and a police unit. In the last year, a breach has been opened in the fence, not far from the crossing. This breach is known to all, including the army. There does not appear to be any interest in blocking it, probably as it permits needed Palestinian workers without the bureaucratic permits to get to work in Israel. Food stalls and a parking area economy have been created, but incidents of violent abuse by border police have also been recorded. Updated April 2022
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Tarqumiya CP
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The Tarqumiya Checkpoint is one of the largest and busiest checkpoints where people and goods cross into Israel. It is located on the Separation Barrier close to the Green Line, on Road 35 (connecting Beer Sheva and Hebron). It is run by the Israel Defense Ministry’s Crossings Administration with civilian secuirty companies running the day to day operations. The checkpoint is indeed open to vehicles in both directions 24/7, but Palestinians are prevented from crossing in vehicles, except in special cases. MachsomWatch activists visit the checkpoint as it opens at 3:45 am, in order to observe the daily passage of nearly 10,000 Palestinian workers. The workers arrive from throughout the Southern West Bank. Our activists report on the tremendous overcrowding at this checkpoint; they have observed young men climbing and scrambling on the fences and roofs of the ‘access cages’. This is how the work day begins for those who ‘build the land of Israel’. updated November 2019
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