Tura checkpoint: Military garbage returned "home"

15:00 – A’anin Checkpoint

Two bored soldiers were sitting under the small shed inside the checkpoint as usual during the past few months.  However, it was unusual to see that none of the farmers from A’anin were waiting for the checkpoint to open at 15:15.  One of the soldiers, a pleasant fellow from Nachal, came up to us.  He likes our cause  .and agrees with our opinions, but he didn’t know why there was no one crossing or whether anyone had crossed in the morning.  He and his comrade had begun their shift at 15:00 and would finish at 23:00.  Three shifts a day each with eight hours of boredom and two soldiers in each shift.  The soldier called the army base next to the settlement of Shaked  that is the base for the military police and the Nachal soldiers who would finish their service here in three weeks.  He was told that the checkpoint was supposed to open at 15:15 but today it would not open because there was no one to cross.  Our friend M. told us that only the tractors drivers cross at the checkpoint.  The rest cross through holes in the security fence.  He is a tractor driver, but did not cross today because his foot hurt after plowing for five hours on Monday. 

15:40 – Tura – Shaked Checkpoint

The checkpoint was very dirty again with garbage from the IDF and there was no garbage can.   (see photo)   A car crossed to the West Bank and two crossed to the seamline zone.   A young man wearing a mask was waiting under the shed for a ride.

16:00 – Yaabed – Dotan Checkpoint

There was a lot of traffic going towards Jenin. 

16:30 – Barta’a Reihan Checkpoint

The parking lot on the Palestinian side and those along the road were full of cars.  It appears that the closure because of COVID-19 has no influence on the number of cars. We crossed to the seamline zone side and parked near the entrance to the sleeve with its fenced-in and covered walkway that leads to the entrance to the checkpoint.  There is a covered waiting area with benches there and rest rooms.   A Palestinian resident of Israel was attempting to sell fish next to the shed.  For some reason this bothered the security forces and they insisted that he leave.    Some of the workers’ transport vehicles entered the parking lot and let their passengers off near the entrance to the sleeve.  Others stopped on the road and blocked traffic.  We went down to the terminal with the workers who were coming back.  Few people were wearing masks.   We met our friend B. who works in the Shahak Industrial zone.   He told us that only people who work in the seamline zone can cross at Barta’a Checkpoint.  The others cross through holes in the fence.  Everyone can cross bask to the West Bank through the checkpoint because they are not checked.   The renovation of the old part of the sleeve has not yet been completed.

16:50 We returned to our car.  A lot of people were still coming down the sleeve on their way home, and only one woman was among them.  No one was crossing to the seamline zone at this time of day.