Barta'a-Reihan, Tura-Shaked

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Observers: 
Hanna H., Yoheved G.
Aug-12-2015
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Morning

6.00  Barta'a Riehan checkpoint.

Hundreds of workerssit on teh sidewalk round the upper parking lot, wiating for transport to work in Israel and the seam zone.  We went down to the terminal entrance, two windows were functioning.  A loudspeaker announced "Machsomwatch women have arrived."  If only this would have hastened work, but the slow pace continued of the Palestinians coming out, each carrying his package and telling us that it was very hot inside.  At 6.35 a third window was opened.  Finally 10 people exited within a minute and the flow began to speed up.  At 7.00, when we left, there were still tens of people sitting on the sidewalks above

 

7.00 Tura-Shaked checkpoint.

6 soldiers were present bu the checkpoint was closed.After 15 minutes it was opened and people began to pass through slowly. About 50 people were waiting on the West Bank side.  7 cars and 3[?] people passed.  One person told us that the previous day he returned from Jenin with his wife and sick child, a one-and-a-half year old, returning from the doctor. He stopped his car and went to show his permits of all of them, while his wife waited in the car, holding the babyinfo-icon. He returned to the car in order to drive through, but the woman soldier refused to let the wife pass without being checked.  They tried, without avail, to be allowed to stay in the car as otherwise there was no way to look after the baby while the father was driving.  Also, outside the heat was unbearable while inside the car there was air-conditioning.  The mother was forced to leave the baby on the back seat and the father crossed the barrier very slowly.  He asked the soldier 'Why?"  The answer "That's how."  ["Kacha"]

We left at 8.00.  On the Tura side there were still many people having to reach work.