'Anabta, Eyal, Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim), Qalqiliya, Te'enim Crossing, Mon 8.6.09, Afternoon

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Observers: 
Bilhah A., Alice P., Yonah A.
Jun-8-2009
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Afternoon

Translator: orna B.

 14:30 Qalqiliya

The checkpoint is not manned by soldiers and vehicles enter and leave Qalqiliya without delay.  The road to Azzun is open, without earth piles.

 15:15 Anabta

The southernmost check post is still placed near the junction. New asphalt covers the road that has been built in the past few months. Three reserve soldiers are in the booth. Vehicles go through with no interruption. One of the soldiers gestures clearly to the cars to go through. A lieutenant approaches us for a friendly conversation.

 15:30 Figs Passage

The soldiers inspect every car that passes in the two lanes which are open on the exit side.

Two queues of cars are formed but after a few moments the queue is released. A large contingency of military men, officers of different ranks, gather on the traffic island.

 15:45 Irtach

The only carousel at the entrance to the installation is closed. More than 100 workers, returning from their day's work,  are standing, waiting. A security guard emerges from the installation and is dealing with the turnstiles. There must be a technical fault.

 

15:50 The turnstile is working for a short time and locks up again for a few moments. About 30 workers have gone through. When the turnstile starts moving the workers start pushing in, and at times two enter the narrow section of the revolving turnstile together. An older woman overtakes the queue. Quietly and politely the men let her through. A few moments later a young woman arrives with two boxes of strawberries - one on her head, the other in her hands. Again – they let her through and help her to cross the carousel.

Now that the turnstile has been fixed the passage is quick and no queues are formed.

 16:30 Eyal Passage

Along the fence, to the west of the installation, flowers have been planted and they bloom among the filth, the carrier bags, papers, cups. Cars arrive one by one, returning workers after their day's work. The workers alight and hurry towards the checkpoint. The passage is quick. We followed an individual worker from the moment he entered the installation to the time he exited. It took him less than a minute.