Anin checkpoint: The fault in the gate has not yet been fixed

15:00 – A’anin Checkpoint

We learned from Shula who had been here on shift this morning that there had been a problem because the soldiers did not manage to open the gate.  M. and his son were unable to cross with their tractor.  We decided to come anyway to see what had happened afterwards.  No one was waiting for the checkpoint to open.  The gate on the seamline zone side was open as usual, but the middle gate was closed.  A military vehicle drove along the security road and stopped next to us.  An officer got out and asked what we were doing.  Re reported that the checkpoint was closed because of COVID-19, and he is evidently unaware of what was going on.

At 15:20 we called the District Coordination and Liaison Office.   A polite female soldier informed us that in the morning the key to the lock on the gate had gotten stuck and the soldiers were unable to open it.  She knew that only two people with a tractor had wanted to cross.   She reported that there were people in the “blue area” (the seamline zone or Israel) waiting  to cross and that they could cross at Tibeh Romena Checkpoint.    She was not convinced that we were the only ones there.  When we asked if the lock would be repaired by Monday when the checkpoint was due to open again, she said that there would be enough time to fix it by them. 

15:30 – Tura – Shaked Checkpoint

A car brought a woman who crossed to the West Bank.  Four women and two men were waiting under the shed for their ride.  All of them were residents of Um Reihan who were returning from Jenin.  Ironically the men were the ones returning from shopping.

15:50 – Yaabed Dotan Checkpoint

There was a lot of traffic in both directions and only the concrete blocks slowed down the traffic.

16:00 – Reihan – Barta’a Checkpoint

As usual we did not enter the crowded parking lot on the Palestinian side because of COVID-19.  People were selling cakes from a car parked on the side of the road.  A lot of Palestinians were descending the sleeve (the long fenced-in covered path) that leads to the entrance of the terminal from the parking lot on the seamline zone side and the crossing point next to it where people return to the West Bank.

On our way home a security guard at the vehicle checkpoint asked who we were and where we had come from, and checked the trunk of our car.  

At 16:20 we drove home via Route 611 that passes Barta’a and Harish.  I tried to show the others how people were crossing through holes in the security fence,  No one was crossing at the time, but there was a makeshift kiosk at the east entrance to Barta’a and a lot of cars were parked there.  When we got close to Harish we saw a lot of workers running towards a car that was waiting near the entrance to Mitzpeh Ilan.