'Anin, Mevo Dotan (Imriha), Reihan, Shaked, Thu 23.2.12, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
06:10 A’anin checkpoint
About 30 residents of A’anin cross, most of them on foot, some on a tractor, one on a donkey. Two young men without permits are forced to return to the village.
06:30 The schoolchildren from the Bedouin encampment at the foot of the checkpoint wait for their transportation to the school in Umm Reihan. A lieutenant and second lieutenant lock the checkpoint gates
.
06:50 Shaked-Tura checkpoint
We arrived early. One car already waits to cross to the West Bank. The soldiers arrive at 07:00 and five minutes later began letting cars and people through. One man has a computer in his car, which he isn’t allowed to take to the West Bank. A soldier hurries over to us to say that the man and his car are allowed to cross, but not the computer. The man brings the computer back to his home in Dahr al Malk, and goes through.
The schoolchildren from the solitary house arrive and cross.
07:25 About 25 schoolchildren and kindergartners arrive on foot, open their schoolbags for inspection and go through. Y., the driver, follows them; he usually drives them. He didn’t want to tell us why the children arrived on foot and not with him.
The older schoolchildren arrive a little later; they also cross, their schoolbags open for inspection.
The Umm Reihan teachers from the West Bank wait for their ride. One says that he was detained the day before yesterday until 09:00; they said he’d remained overnight in the seam zone. He says they forgot to note he’d returned.
07:45 Reihan-Barta’a checkpoint
Seven pickup trucks loaded with fruits and vegetables from the West Bank emerge from inspection. A few taxis on the seam zone side wait for customers from among those who work in eastern Barta’a.
The Palestinian parking lot is almost full. People arrive in small group and enter the terminal.
The road from the bridge to Zebda is locked with an iron gate as usual. The road south to Qafin and Tulkarm is blocked by concrete barriers. About a dozen cars are parked there.
The gate of the road from Amriha to Yabed is locked. Schoolchildren from Amriha who go to school in Yabed have to take the long way.
08:30 Dothan checkpoint
Three additional guards stand next to the soldiers; one has “Security” written on the back of his coat (?). Cars cross in both directions; some are stopped for document inspection.
We also drove toward Hermesh. The gate at the road to Tulkarm is wide open.
9:15 Baka checkpoint
No one’s here at this hour. Not many people are permitted to cross here. The fruit and vegetable stand next to the checkpoint is open. The cart and donkey that bring the produce from the West Bank wait off to the side.