Eyal Crossing, Wed 12.8.09, Morning

At the parking lot there is a great number of vehicles and many laborers who wait for transportation, most of them sitting in large groups. On the narrow pavement along the fence we force our way in the stream of laborers advancing towards us. They greet us back but do not stop to talk to us. On the way to the exit turnstile we approach some of the workers, all say that today is excellent, one passes quickly. One said that he arrived a few moments earlier at the CP and passed immediately. We phone Abu Shadi who confirms that the entrance to the installation is rapid and that there are no delay. He asks us to find us whether there are detainees in the rooms. When we ask about that we are told that there are some in the rooms, but not many and not for long

04:35.

Near the turnstile: the workers come out continuously, from time to time also a woman or two. There are no complains. There are six manned checking posts. At a yard on the side there are a few tens of merchants who are allowed to pass only after 05:00 and resent this, they tell us that at other places this rule is not enforced, why only here?

04:50

One of the security guards sends away two workers who pray next to the small wall between the turnstile and the yard fence. I wanted to take photographs, but couldn't make it. The guard enters the yard and talks to the merchants. I take photos of the merchants and the guard enters the installation from the yard and closes the door behind him. The merchants say that he closed the door because I took photos.

04:55 The guard near the turnstile is angry because I photographed him, I explained that I didn't, and indeed I didn't succeed in photographing him. The door opens and the merchants hurry to pass through it in the direction of the checking posts.

05:10 The workers continue streaming through the turnstiles and we turn towards the separation fence, through a small gate in the fence along the pavement. (The vehicle gate, which was closed when we arrived, is also open now). Surprise – there is no queue at the entrance. All the area, till the sheds and stands on the Kalkilya side, is empty. Whoever arrives passes the dividing area and enters the turnstile. I again talk with Abu Shadi who says he can see me and tells me that on Sunday it was bad, but during the last days people pass quickly. Within a few minutes and after they called to us from the watch tower, a guard arrives and asks us not to stand on the blurring path. We had barely agreed with him where to stand, when Shimon the CP manager arrives and threatens to take our IDs and to call the police if we won't leave the area. We tried to discuss,although there was nothing to see there, but left as I had other important tasks for that morning.

It was reported that in the first hour 1500 people passed.

05:25 We returned to the exit turnstile. The guards prevent the workers from praying near the exit, drive them away to another area. Later we heard angry complaints that they are driven away from the far pavement.

Apart from Shalom, good morning and "today it's alright" we didn't hear much.There were not complaints which we heard in the past, about pressure inside.

05:35 We passed to the crowded parking lot. We talked with the workers about the transportation arrangements. There are some who are collected by the employer himself, other go on transits to different collection points, such as Geha, Kfar Saba, Natanya, Tel Aviv etc. (for 5 shekels going there and 10 shekels coming back) and there the employers collect them. Some said it would be desirable to arrange for regular public transportation, and thus they would pay less.

We returned to the exit from the installation, there are no changes, people hurry to leave, the turnstile turns. Only when we ask we are told that there are still problems concerning the transportation of iced water, big oil bottles, olives and conserves. At other times they complained about the interdiction to transport cooked food.

06:10 After another telephone call to Abu Shadi to check whether there are no problems, we left.

We returned by way of Zofin, the exit from Kalkilya is empty, at the Eliyahu passage about 20-25 people wait in a fenced in a fenced in area, before passing through the checking room.

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