קלנדיה

A stormy morning. Pouring rain, freezing cold.

5:30 a.m. – time of our arrival. No waiting line. All the turnstiles are open as well as the passages.

Presumably all outdoors workers (construction, roads) did not arrive this morning. Very few workers. Some sitting outside. They came early and their permit is valid beginning later. This gives us the opportunity to have short talks with them. Among those waiting is a man and two women from Ramallah. They are headed for hospital. They tried to get through but were turned back. A shame. When all the passages are so vacant, why should they be made to wait in the cold?

The soldier in the 'aquarium' directs people to the vacant passages.

The humanitarian gate is not opened. No need.

The area has been tidied up but calling it 'clean' would be obviously exaggerated. To our question, the coffee cart answered that he got someone to do the job and paid him, too.

We left close to 7 a.m., earlier than ever.