'Anabta, Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim), Sun 17.1.10, Afternoon

Anabta Checkpoint 16:30
Jeep and soldiers present at the exiting vehicles checking post.

Yrtah Checkpoint 16:37
Hundreds of workers stand stuck outside the entry turnstile after a hard day’s work in Israel. We complain to the army hotline, who promise to take care of things. More and more vans arrive and huge numbers of workers disembark, the crowd crushes against the turnstile and already fills the entire walkway and back into the parking lot.

For long moments this throng is completely static, no motion whatsoever.

At 16:45 even the outside gate of the entire compound is locked. We speak again with the army hotline, a friendly-voiced woman soldier tells she has just called and yelled at ‘them’ (checkpoint staff) and promised to do so again immediately. Two minutes later the gates open wide and the entire throng flows in, an endless stream of workers heavily laden, running as fast as they can towards the turnstile in fear that it will be shut yet again.
 

We left at 17:20.