Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim), Sun 27.10.13, Morning

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Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim)

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Annelin K., Varda T. (reporting), Translator: Judith Green

Oct-27-2013

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Morning

Irtach,

Arrive at 03:55. Dozens of women are gathered next to the women's gate. Groups of men are also waiting in the lot next to the lines. A long line of men reaches into the lane. Not clean.

At 04:00 exactly both the men's lane and the women's gate open. They start to rush and fall on the scanning machine for those entering. A jam was created. The loud speaker blasts something. No one understands what.

04:05 The women's gate closes after the last person in line. Between 04:06-04:08 another 6 women arrive (all of them, notice, arrive before 4:10), but the women's gate was already closed and they are forced into the men's line.

04:15 Next to the entrance to Israel - a steady stream of people are coming through. On our way, we saw a stream of women and men who already came out; that is, within 5-10 minutes from the opening of the gates info-icon . At the same time, part of the people were detained: at 04:20 a woman was standing next to us who spoke a little Hebrew (unusual) and told us that she had entered through the women's gate. She said there were 2 inspection rooms set aside for women. Her sister, for whom she was waiting, got out at 04:30. This means that the first people who entered got out quickly, but the others took more time. Later on, a man explained to us that the women wait until a woman soldier is free to check them.

Women who came out after 04:30 reported that they had entered on the main line. They said that the pushing outside was unbearable, that they were pressed into the passage, but within the area itself everything went well and easily. Men reported the same thing. Another man complained about the late opening on Fridays, and suggested that they should also add half an hour on Sundays - that is, open at 03:30. We explained that this was not a possibility .

04:44 The exit turnstile was closed; not clear why. A crowd developed. 04:46, the turnstile opened again. The side gate which was supposed to decrease the pressure didn't open this time. A man whom we marked at the entrance to the area came out in 15 minutes. Everything was flowing pretty well this time.

5:00 - We left.

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Location Description

Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim)

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The checkpoint is for Palestinians only. It is the main barrier to the passage of workers from the northern West Bank to Israel.
Workers with a permit to work in Israel and also for trade (with appropriate permissions), medicine, and visiting prisoners.
One can cross the checkpoint only on foot. The checkpoint is located north of Road 557 and south of Tulkarm. Operated by a civil security company, opening hours: between 4:00 and 19:00 on weekdays.
As members of Machsom Watch, we began our shifts to this location in 2007.
We arrived before it opened at 4 in the morning and report since, on the harsh conditions and the long and crowded queues of workers. The workers who pass by continue their journey by transportation to work throughout Israel.

In the first period of its activity, about 3,000 and then 5,000 people passed through this checkpoint every day. Due to the small number of checking points and arbitrary delays for long periods of time in the "rooms", workers feared losing their transportation.
Hence workers leave their homes at 2:30 at night to be among the first. Today, 15,000 pass and the transition is faster. Workers are still leaving their homes very early to get past the checkpoint at 7 p.m.

In an adjacent compound, there is a terminal for the transfer of goods on a commercial scale, using the back-to-back method.