Road 611: Soldiers guard breaches in the fence

At 15.00 we passed by the agricultural checkpoint Anin and were met by workers who had returned from work and were approaching the checkpoint gate. According to them, the checkpoint had opened late this morning, at 7:00 - and many workers and three tractors passed. They hope that  the checkpoint  will open now at 3:45pm so they can get home quickly to break the fast. One of them, a resident of Anin with a permit to work in Israel (which is not an agricultural permit), was forced to travel with us to the remote Barta'a checkpoint and significantly extend his return home.

On our way to the Barta'a-Reihan checkpoint,  we were met with convoys of shuttles, returning the workers to the checkpoint. During Ramadan, workers return home to the West Bank earlier than usual.

At the checkpoint itself hundreds of workers go down the sleeve but there is no crowding because the crossing is open without inspection. Many people, women and children return from Jenin to eastern Barta'a via the terminal and the covered sleeve. We noticed that the passage of Arab-Israeli students returning from Nablus and Jenin to their homes in Wadi Ara is also possible - a passage they were prevented from since the beginning of the corona closure.  

At the crossing of vehicles to the West Bank, Israeli cars, including Arab-Israelis, pass to celebrate in the West Bank, but on their way back they will have to travel through the remote Jalama-Gilboa checkpoint. All cars - Israeli and Palestinian - are security checked.

At the Tura-Shaked checkpoint, workers return to the West Bank from work in Israel and in the seam zone - the transition is fast. A celebrating family moves to the seam zone - the car with the husband and child passes while the woman with the baby crosses the route on foot through the examination room. 3 young people going from the West Bank to the seam area tell us that since the terrorist attacks the check-time at the checkpoint has been lengthened, all pockets are emptied, inspected and many questions are asked.

Military tents are still being deployed near some of the unrepaired breaches, with two soldiers stationed in them day and night, and 24-hour soldiers are also stationed at the Anin and Tura checkpoints.