Reihan, Sat 21.6.08, Morning

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Shula N., Noa L. (reporting)

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Jun-21-2008

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Morning

Translation: Devorah K.

Shaked CP 0700 - 0730
There is lively traffic in both directions - pedestrians, cars and a herd of goats. Those going through tell us about the especially meticulous inspection today; new soldiers and new lists. But all told, the passage is quick - about 10 minutes - and there are no long queues.

Reihan CP 0740 - 0850
The CP is very crowded in all directions. There are many pedestrians and cars. Those leaving for the seamline zone tell us that the CO opened this morning at 07:15 instead of at 07:00, and there are people who have been waiting since 06:00 and even earlier. There are delays of about an hour or two, and even more.

When we arrived, there was only one window open; we asked for the person in charge of the place and he arrived with a worker who opened an additional window. The flow of those going through grew but still there are many inside. On the other side, there are people waiting to enter the terminal from the direction of the West Bank. About fifty people are standing in the heavy heat and more people join them all the time. It is a sight that is very rare on Saturdays. At the same time, the queue of cars waiting to enter for inspection grew from 8 to 12, and throughtou the time that we stayed there not a single car was admitted for inspection. We also saw that the white tent that provided shade for the four cars which are inspected at the same time has disappeared. We located the person in charge, and according to him, inspection of vehicles is now done inside the compound (invisible to us) where there is shade. At the moment [he says] as many as five cars are being inspected and they are doing their best. We asked him to take note of the tremendous queue outside the terminal, and the fact is that there was some slight improvement in wait time for entrance. When we had to leave (for personal reasons), about 20 people were still waiting outside the terminal and the car queue was even longer.

Conditions today were unreasonable by comparison with other Saturdays and insufferable in light of the extreme heat. In the upper parking lot, two lavatory cells are open; they are fairly clean.

Location Description

Barta’a-Reihan Checkpoint

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This checkpoint is located on the Separation Fence route, east of the Palestinian town of East Barta’a. The latter is the largest Palestinian community inside the seam-line zone (Barta’a Enclave) in the northern West Bank. Western Barta’a, inside Israel, is adjacent to it. The Checkpoint is open all week from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Since mid-May 2007, the checkpoint has been managed by a civilian security company subordinate to the Ministry of Defense. People permitted to cross through this checkpoint into and from the West Bank are residents of Palestinian communities inside the Barta’a Enclave as well as West Bank Palestinian residents holding transit permit. Jewish settlers from Hermesh and Mevo Dotan cross here without inspection. A large, modern terminal is active here with 8 windows for document inspection and biometric tests (eyes and fingerprints). Usually only one or two of the 8 windows are in operation. Goods, up to medium commercial size, may pass here from the West Bank into the Barta’a Enclave. A permanent registered group of drives who have been approved by the may pass with farm produce. When the administration of the checkpoint was turned over to a civilian security firm, the Ya’abad-Mevo Dotan Junction became a permanent checkpoint. . It is manned by soldiers who sit in the watchtower and come down at random to inspect vehicles and passengers (February 2020).