Reihan, Shaked, Sat 3.11.07, Morning

07:30 - 09:45

07:30 - 08:00 Shaked Checkpoint

About 20 people in the area. A few have already crossed from the West Bank and are waiting under the roof. The others – by the gate. People can be seen waiting on the Tura side as well. Transit is at a snail pace.

07:45 – all are through. Two soldiers ask whether we need anything. Certainly new... They were bothered by our car parked near the hut, and calmed down when they heard that the car was our responsibility.

08:10 - 09:45 Rihan Checkpoint

In the upper parking lot six cars waiting for passengers. The checkpoint opened at 07:30 and we meet the first people coming out.

One toilet open and not really clean. Soap container empty. No toilet paper.

We ascend the sleeve. Additions to the landscaping: four large plant pots.

Four cars at the inspection point. The dogs are working quietly.

Most people coming out of the terminal say the rooms are full, and everything is slow. A few mention a 14 year old boy not permitted to return home to Bartaa. He has his mother’s ID with which he went out. We have no details and we try to clarify. Someone comes out and identifies himself as David: he does not want to go back through the whole terminal process in order to bring the mother’s ID to the soldiers, but prefers to continue on his way and to call the mother to come and extricate her son. Since no one from the security team can be seen, we choose to operate via the army. Dana from Central Command "waves" me off. According to her, it’s not possible that the boy crossed with his mother’s ID (which is logical, because that’s the demand), and perhaps he stole it (perhaps?), and anyway – how can she locate someone responsible at Rihan while we, who are there, cannot? Sarit summons up courage and enters the terminal. The woman soldier at the "cash desk" panics and does not respond. The security man jumps down from above and promises to0 send someone. No one comes.
After five minutes, two security women and a man can be seen in the terminal, but they are not willing to answer us. We leave since none of those coming out no anything about the boy’s story, and only complained about the inspection in the rooms and an hour’s delay.

09:10 – at the end of the sleeve on our way to the lower parking lot, we see an intensive care ambulance. It’s from Hermesh. They should all be well...

In the lower lot, some thirty people in front of the yellow gate.

The drivers relate that the gate was closed for half an hour. Within quarter of an hour, the place emptied out.

Walid makes coffee. He seems sadder than usual. 500 egg trays (15,000 eggs) are lying under the roof.

The drivers tell of new soldiers at Dotan Checkpoint who let no one pass without permits that do not exist. With no choice they make their way by "non-existent" paths, and again: "Why if I want to visit my sister in Kafin, five minutes drive from Zebda, do I have to make a circle around the whole area to pass under the road?"

Before we leave, we get a request to help in obtaining a permit for a medical test in Hadassa for a child who cannot hear. We give the father all the necessary details in the hope that he will succeed (we will continue to follow up).

09:45 – we leave.