'Anin, Reihan, Shaked, Thu 7.5.09, Afternoon
Translation: Devorah K.
15:00 A'anin CPThe gates
of the CP are opened. A few people are going through as well as two tractors. For several weeks now, we have not been able to understand why so few go through the CP. People say that there are no permits, but it seems that only a few of those that do have permits are coming to the CP.
15:30 Shaked-Tura CPVehicle and pedestrian traffic in both directions is very thin at this time. The soldiers allow a woman with a baby to go through from the seamline zone to the West Bank without going through the inspection pavilion. The soldiers are friendly, they ask if we are 'observers' and they are not opposed to our entering the area between the gates, letting us observe the inspection of the cars from up close. A soldier tells us that all together three hundred people go through the CP during a day.
16:00 Reihan-Barta'a CPA few cars are waiting for passengers on the side of the seamline zone. Other cars arrive and in front of the entrance to the sleeve that goes down to the terminal, they let out workers returning from their work in Israel or in the seamline zone. A big taxi on the way to the West Bank is inspected. Its passengers are waiting in the open space near the upper vehicle CP.
The Palestinian parking lot is full of cars. Many drivers are waiting for workers coming back from work. A few go through to the seamline zone. One of them was not allowed to take a few bags with new shirts in their original wrappings through the terminal. He tried to argue with the first inspector, in the hut, but it did not help. He came back and gave the shirts to one of the drivers.
16:30 We went down the sleeve to the opening of the terminal on the side of the seamline zone. There is a steady flow of workers, most of them returning from work in Israel. Only one inspection post is open, but there is no queue in the sleeve. People tell us over and over about the horrible queues in Taibe (the Irtach-Shaar Efraim CP) every morning. They say that yesterday, Wednesday, the situation was especially difficult, and three people, among them a woman, were crushed and had to be taken to hospital in ambulances. They say that they saw our colleagues observing in that CP. In the terminal a few people without permits who want to go back to the West Bank are detained to clarify what their situation is. There is also a woman waiting with three children, one of whom is not listed on her ID card. We try to find out the details of this matter in order to help her, but she decides not to go through and goes back to the seamline zone.
17:00 Surprise! Two children are playing on the swing that was put up on the border of the upper parking lot, before they go to the seamline zone. We traveled through Barta'a. The market is full of people at this time of day and the main street almost has a traffic jam.