‘Azzun, ‘Azzun ‘Atma, Eliyahu Crossing, Falamiya
On the way to 'Azzun 'Atma we see the progress made in constructing the new wall. A fairly long section of it already parallels the entrance road to Elkana. We saw many holes in the old fence; apparently it’s no longer being maintained. The new wall appears impassible.
06:20 'Azzun 'Atma checkpoint
Many laborers who’ve crossed warm themselves at small bonfires. Three children walk around selling coffee. The waiting line is moderately long, about 50 people; all is calm. Crossing goes fairly quickly, but people keep joining the line and it doesn’t get any shorter. We saw that it took 20 minutes to get through. Towards 07:00 the line became much shorter.
07:20 Habla checkpoint
We met Otman and his wife; they had been put in touch with the group of volunteers driving people to Israeli hospitals for treatment. The person driving them to Tel Hashomer hospital has just arrived.
There are few people in line; crossing goes pretty quickly.
07:25 The children’s bus goes through rapidly. The driver opens the baggage compartment for inspection; two soldiers kneel down, weapons pointed toward it – lest someone leap out?
07:40 Many people arrive moments before the checkpoint closes at 07:45. Many cars also; they must prefer to go through right before it closes and don’t want to cross earlier.
07:48 Three more people arrive from the Israeli side. Although the gates are open, the soldiers didn’t want to admit them, but after discussion they let them through. The gates close. More laborers who hadn’t managed to find work arrive from the side of the plant nurseries and want to return home; a discussion with the soldiers – they weren’t allowed through. Now they’ll have to wait for the gate to open in the afternoon. The soldier sends them to the Eliyahu checkpoint which is open all the time, but they don’t have money for the taxi ride.
They say they can’t afford a taxi when they earn only NIS 50 a day.
08:10 Eliyahu crossing
Four cars wait for inspection; 2 are being inspected.
Izbet Tabib – 'Azzun
The entrance to Izbet Tabib is open, as is the main entrance to 'Azzun.
We tried to reach the Eyal crossing via the Tzofin gate but weren’t allowed through.
09:00 Falamiya gate
It’s quiet. A tractor crosses quickly, as does a pedestrian coming from the Israeli side. We don’t see anyone working on the new fence.
09:40 Eliyahu crossing. Three cars being inspected.
'Azzun
See all reports for this place-
Azoun (updated February 2019)
A Palestinian town situated in Area B (under civil Palestinian control and Israeli security control),
on road 5 between Nablus and Qalqiliya, east of Nabi Elias village. The inhabitants are allowed to construct and improve infrastructures. The Separation Fence has confiscated lands belonging to the town's people. In 2018 olive tree groves owned by one of its inhabitants were confiscated for the sake of paving a road to bypass Nabi Elias. Azoun population numbers 13,000, its economic state dire. Its infrastructures are poor, neglect and poverty rampant. In the meantime, the town council has completed paving an internal road for the inhabitants' welfare.
Because of its proximity to the Jewish settler-colony of Karnei Shomron and its outposts, the town suffers the intense presence of the Israeli army, especially at nighttime: soldiers enter homes, arrest suspects, trash the house and sometimes ruin it, as they do in numerous places in the West Bank. At times a checkpoint closes the entrance to the town, so no one can come in or get out.
-
'Azzun 'Atma
See all reports for this place-
'Azzun 'Atma
A Palestinian village of about 1,800 residents. The settlement of Sha'arei Tikva was established on its land adjacent to it, and the settlement of Oranit was established on its agricultural lands. By 2013, the separation fence had passed through the village and a checkpoint staffed by the army allowed the residents to cross from side to side. After building a massive wall surrounding the village and some of its agricultural lands, the residents went daily for five years to their lands that remained in the Seam Zone through the Oranit agricultural checkpoint (4). Since 2018 it has only opened during the olive harvest and the farmers have to pass daily at the Beit Amin / Abu Salman checkpoint (1447), about 3 kilometers north.From a report from March 24, 2021: "The farmers from Beit Amin and Azon Atma are happy that since February 21 the Oranit checkpoint .is going to be open 3 times a day, The farmers are really developing the place."
Report from July 14, 2024: "Ornit checkpoint is closed . The Beit Amin/Abu Salman agricultural checkpoint is closed (there is no contact with the military to check if it opens rarely), the Ezbat Jaloud checkpoint was opened once a day before the war.
Updated for July 2024
Apr-11-2019Azoun: The main entrance to village blocked now for several weeks
-
Eliyahu CP (109) / Crossing
See all reports for this place-
Eliyahu CP (109) / Crossing This checkpoint, also known as the Fruit Crossing, is one of the main checkpoints between Israel and the West Bank. It is located on Route 55 between Alfei Menashe and the turn to Qalqilya and Zufin, more than 4 km east of the Green Line, in the separation fence, which separates Qalqilya from its lands to the south, thus leaving Alfei Menashe West of the fence - the Seam Zone. This checkpoint, a few kilometers across the Green Line, is intended for "Israeli settlement in the West Bank and the population of the Seam Zone." It is managed by a civil company. Palestinians with a special permit for their lands in the seam area are also allowed to pass through it, on foot, and sometimes by car.
-
Falamiya
See all reports for this place