Inhumane treatment
" A company like that feels it owes no explanation to human rights organizations for inhumane treatment "
Berg
Berg explained that a private company is currently managing the checkpoints after winning a bid put in by the Israeli Ministry of Internal Security. Therefore, there is no authority where complaints can be submitted.
“A company like that feels it owes no explanation to human rights organizations for inhumane treatment.”
Berg added that even the work of Machsom Watch could be interrupted by the Israeli authorities at any time.
“But we will never give up. We will keep struggling till all the checkpoints are removed,” Berg concluded.
Workers who have to cross on daily basis file numerous complaints about the suffering they endure, said Khaled Gibril, head of the Qalqiliya branch of the Public Service Trade Union, part of the Palestinian General Federation for Trade Unions.
“The North Qalqiliya checkpoint does not only serve Qalqiliya, but the entire northern part of the West bank,” he told Al Arabiya. “An average of 5,000 workers need to cross before 6:00 am and some of them wait for more than three hours.”
Many problems arise due to the large numbers of workers overcrowding the checkpoint. Stampedes often occur and many sustain injuries.
The union has taken several measures to try and help the worker's pleas but there is still more to be done.
“A few months ago, we started organizing workers in lines to avoid stampeding and we erected many canopies to protect them from the heat and the rain, but they can only accommodate 10 percent of them.”
Despite efforts on the Palestinian side to make the waiting process easier for workers, nothing is being done for them on the Israeli side.
“Nothing protects them on the other side. After crossing, they have to wait in the heat or the cold for almost an hour till a car comes to pick them up.”
Some drivers take advantage of the situation and charge them more and transfer them in extremely inhumane conditions.
“They stuff 18 of them in a car that takes eight and they end up like sardines in a can.”
(Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid).
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