Route 611: More and more people pass through the fence
16.45 – 15.30
Cars were stopping next to the two holes in the fence along Route 611 and returning workers to the West Bank. There are more and more cars parked next to the hole near the village of Qeiqis each week. This hole is adjacent to Reihan – Barta’a Checkpoint. The security road goes past the lower parking lot there where they have transportation to their homes.
Barta’a Reihan Checkpoint 15:40
Larger transport vehicles such as minibusses and busses also arrive at the official checkpoint, but here works have to cross through the long sleeve
until they reach the terminal and lower parking lot. A man with a disability leaning on a cane walked down the sleeve with difficulty. When he approached the terminal the security guard at the vehicle checkpoint saw him and opened the gate in the sleeve, saving him part of the long walk. Is this the usual policy for people with disabilities?
The exit from the checkpoint to the seamline zone and Barta’a is still closed in the afternoon despite the fact that there has been heavy rain and people returning from Jenin have to walk along the long route that is not covered. The number of workers returning to the West bank increases towards 16:00. They called to us to come to observe in the morning when they were forced to wait a long time in the wind and rain before entering the terminal. Crossing was slow and the checkpoint was crowded.
On our way to Tura Checkpoint we saw that the settlement of Reihan had grown and expanded. It is a 7 minute drive from the city of Harish
Tura – Shaked Checkpoint 16:15
Several cars returning from the seamline zone carrying workers preferred to drive to the West Bank along the road that passes the lone house rather than go through the checkpoint. A man who lives in Tura and works in the Shaked Industrial zone has a permit to cross at Tura Checkpoint, but he cannot take advantage of his permit and cross there because the checkpoint never opens on time in the morning. His employer arranged a permit for him to cross at Reihan – Barta’a but that is an unnecessary long trip in the morning. He therefore prefers to cross through the hole in the fence.