Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim), Tue 23.3.10, Morning

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Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim)

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Observers: Smadar, Ruthi

Mar-23-2010

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Morning

Translation: Galia S.

03:55 – A lot of minibuses are in the parking lot, waiting for the workers. When I was here two weeks ago, the minibuses were barred from entering the place.

04:00 – The turnstiles are open. It's cold. The announcement over the loudspeaker instructs all the men to raise their jackets when they pass. As usual, food cans, drinks, keys and shoes with nails are put aside before they pass the metal detector device. Some 100 workers enter before the turnstile is blocked. The passage looks quick and until 04:10 about 500 people, all those who were in line passed.

04:12 – Those who get to the checkpoint at 04:12 find it closed. They cannot pass and have to wait. It is not clear why the turnstiles aren't open. We check at the exit and see there that people are leaving. It seems that all those who entered earlier have already passed. At least 5 posts that check permits and other documents are manned. We have no idea why they have stopped the passage. A lot of people who arrive now are waiting.

At 04:25 the turnstiles reopen and about 100 men and women pass in each round, which takes 3 minutes and then another group passes. In front of the turnstiles there is now a new long line. A worker of the company that operates the checkpoint shouts contradictory instructions in Hebrew and Arabic. He is very blunt and unpleasant. We should have recorded him.

04:50 – Shift change!

The guard has been replaced by another one who welcomes the people by saying good morning to everybody in a pleasant voice and asks them to come forward one by one. When he stops someone whose crossing triggers a whistling sound he asks him politely to open the bag and than thanks him and says "Have a nice day".

The turnstiles are open and each time about 100 workers pass.

A lot of people keep arriving from the Palestinian direction and it takes each person who arrives 10 minutes to pass.

05:15 – The day has dawned.

05:30 – No line. Everyone who arrives passes.

There are many people in the parking lot and cars and minibuses fill up. A lot of smiles and friendly greetings accompany us.

Location Description

Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim)

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The checkpoint is for Palestinians only. It is the main barrier to the passage of workers from the northern West Bank to Israel.
Workers with a permit to work in Israel and also for trade (with appropriate permissions), medicine, and visiting prisoners.
One can cross the checkpoint only on foot. The checkpoint is located north of Road 557 and south of Tulkarm. Operated by a civil security company, opening hours: between 4:00 and 19:00 on weekdays.
As members of Machsom Watch, we began our shifts to this location in 2007.
We arrived before it opened at 4 in the morning and report since, on the harsh conditions and the long and crowded queues of workers. The workers who pass by continue their journey by transportation to work throughout Israel.

In the first period of its activity, about 3,000 and then 5,000 people passed through this checkpoint every day. Due to the small number of checking points and arbitrary delays for long periods of time in the "rooms", workers feared losing their transportation.
Hence workers leave their homes at 2:30 at night to be among the first. Today, 15,000 pass and the transition is faster. Workers are still leaving their homes very early to get past the checkpoint at 7 p.m.

In an adjacent compound, there is a terminal for the transfer of goods on a commercial scale, using the back-to-back method.