'Anabta, Deir Sharaf, Eliyahu Crossing, Habla, Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim), Jubara (Kafriat), Te'enim Crossing, Sun 18.7.10, Morning
6:45 Sha'ar Eliyahu
20 people waiting in line, among them many women workers on their way to work in Israel. 3 people enter the inspection room and the inspection is carried out quickly. The people said that everything is operating correctly today.
6:50 Hablah
About 30 people waiting in line. 5 people enter the inspection room. also here, the inspection is quick. We left at 7:15 and there were about 20 people in line.
7:25 Agricultural Sha'ar J'ous
One man told us that the gate was opened only at 7:30. He complained that the gate opens late and it is difficult for them because of the summer heat. The workers requested that the gate open earlier, they have been asking for 2 months, but there hasn't been any change.
The checkpoint was quiet, very few people going through. Only 4 tractors went through during our shift.
8:10 Opposite Kedumim - a military vehicle is standing.
8:20 Dir Sharaf
The previous checkpoint was closed a few months ago. The area is empty.
8;25 Anabta
No soldiers except in the watch tower.
8:35 the Fig Gate: Jabara
We asked the soldiers to open the gate for us, but a female soldier told us that the lock was broken. Yael complained that the lock has been broken for 2 weeks already. The soldier suggested to us, with a smile, that we go ask "Gabi" (Ashkenazi, the Chief of Staff).
Yael called the Office in charge and explained the situation. He promised to look into it and get back to us. After 30 minutes, we decided to continue to Irtach.
9;05 Irtach
A lot of buses waiting for passengers on their way to visit prisoners. A few of them complain to us about problems at the checkpoint and long waiting times. A man from Nablus told us that he was forced to get up at 3 AM in order to visit his brother who had been jailed for a period of 18 years. He claimed that he is often in a state of confusion and disinformation - they tell him that his brother was moved from one place to another. Someone else told us that they often arrive for visits at the jail and are turned back on the grounds that the visiting hours have been changed. The picture we get is that there is a huge effort made by these people under conditions of lack of information, often a hopeless situation.
9:25
The Officer in charge did get back to us and said that the key for the Jabara gate will be there immediately. We returned. We asked the checkpoint commander for the key. He didn't know anything about it. Yael called the Officer again and requested that the key be available there permanently, so that the family who lives at the entrance to the village, next to the checkpoint, will not be put in this absurd situation. The Officer promised to follow up.
9:30
We went on our way and returned to our pleasant lives.