Habla, Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim)

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Observers: 
Edith M. (translating), Varda Z (reporting)
Aug-9-2015
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Morning

4:55 When we arrived, a large crowd had already passed through the checkpoint. At the side by the separation barrier, the gatesinfo-icon had just opened after a pause. The turnstiles worked for a minute, and then shut down for five minutes. The people in line waited patiently, without pushing.

5:05 On the Israeli side, another section of the wall around the new commercial building has come down. The chain that we noticed two weeks ago, blocking the exit from the terminal, is also gone. There's no pressure at the exit turnstile. Two people we chose to observe got through the terminal in 16 - 17 minutes.

5:25 Near the separation barrier again, the gates opened as we approached. The flow of people is orderly. We picked two more people to watch for.

5:30 At the exit, there's a crowd of people trying to leave the terminal. The side door is opened and the pressure eases. The woman we chose to watch passed through in ten minutes, the man took fifteen. Someone complained about crowding within the terminal, but someone else said he hoped it would stay as good as now.

5:45 We left for Hable.

6:15 As we pulled up, so did the military vehicle come to open the gate. The soldiers acted quickly and efficiently, and at 6:23 the first Palestinians entered the computer room. They got out at 6:26, and the flow of people continued smoothly. We left at 6:30.