Northern Checkpoints:  The army begins to close the breaches in the separation fence.

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Observers: 
Ronny S. and Hannah H. (Reporting) Marcia L., Translation
Aug-24-2020
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Afternoon

15:15 – 16:30

 

On the way to the checkpoints, from the road next to Barta’a, we see army vehicles next  to places in the separation fence, where there are breaches.

Anin Checkpoint – 15:15

The checkpoint is closed; there are cars with soldiers in the area, but no Palestinians arrive.  The breach that was in the fence was closed with barbed wire.  We and the army leave at 15:30.

Tura Checkpoint – 15:45

A few cars with passengers cross over quickly in two directions.

Barta’a Checkpoint – 16:00

Hundreds of workers return from working in Israel and go down the sleeveinfo-icon of the checkpoint (the enclosed passage to and from the terminal). One of them tells us that he is returning now from his two-week stay of work in Israel, with lodging, but is very worried about the future. The breaches are fixed, according to him, and leaving at the checkpoint is still limited only to those who work in the seam areainfo-icon.

A car with Israeli license and driver from Barta’a, Sharkia (a cousin of the owner of the car), stops at the vehicle checkpoint.  Along with him, a yellow taxi is stopped.

Today also, the door of the crossing from the West Bank to the seam zone was closed (as I already wrote about in the report from 20.08.2020).  In the upper parking lot (in the seam zone), we met a resident from Jenin who is a merchant and who has now established a store in East Barta’a.  He is waiting for his partner who is supposed to arrive from the West Bank. The partner wasn’t able to cross the closed checkpoint and notified him by telephone that they will meet next to one of the breaches.  Only residents of the seam zone who return from the West Bank with a vehicle, can cross over via the vehicle checkpoint. As yet we haven’t succeeded in understanding if the pedestrian checkpoint is open only in the morning, or if the afternoon closing is only for short periods of time.