Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim)

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Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim)

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Observers:

Varda Z., Edith M. (reporting), Laura (visitor from Spain)

Apr-23-2017

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Morning

Dawn. An easy day.

3:45 The gates info-icon opened on time, and within 3-4 minutes the first people got through the checkpoint. One of them pointed out to us that only one of the two turnstiles at the exit was working. Varda went to report this to a guard, and the stuck turnstile was immediately freed up.

4:00 We picked people to watch for. Two of them got through in five minutes, but we didn't see the third even after twenty minutes. Several elderly men complained to us about a new policy: According to signs posted at the entrance, beginning soon elderly people, who don't need special permits to enter Israel, will only be permitted to use the checkpoint after 8:00. In the past we had heard of such a limitation until 7:00, which also irked the men who need to come into Israel to earn a living. At that time the checkpoint manager explained that the limitation was intended to reduce rush hour pressure. Maybe they could limit passage of particular groups, like the elderly, during peak periods, but let everyone through early as well as later. Our experience indicates that there isn't much pressure between 3:45 and 4:45. We will try to discuss this with the responsible authorities...

4:35 Three people we picked all got through in 7 - 8 minutes. One turnstile got stuck again, Varda reported it again, it reopened.

4:50 In the building where the lines wait, on the far side of the separation barrier, we could vaguely make out a figure of someone standing, evidently using a large movie camera info-icon . We wonder who. Two people we picked got through in a quarter of an hour, we didn't see the third one at all.

5:25 There was still no pressure at the entrance - everyone walked straight in as soon as he arrived.

We left.

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.