'Azzun, Eyal Crossing, Falamiya North Checkpoint (914), Falamiya South Checkpoint (935)
05:30 – Eyal – Crowds of people have crossed at the checkpoint and are now gathering in the parking where buses, vans and private cars are waiting for them. Through the fences we see an endless line of men of all ages walking fast along the passage after exiting the building. Old men waiting for somebody to drive them to work are crowding in the open area. In the background, a large group of people is praying.
A gate is barring the access from behind, but through the fences we can see the Palestinians arriving and joining the crowded line which keeps advancing along the fence.
We drive on through Tzofim Checkpoint where no farmers are trying to cross to the other side.
06:15 North Falamiya (914) – The soldiers are locking the gate. Everybody has crossed.
06:35 South Falmiya/North Jayyus (935) – Some wagons and tractors and about 10 pedestrians are hurrying through after their permits have been checked. When we ask the soldiers about the gate at North Jayyus they answer that it won’t open “because of security problems, they are looking for somebody.” Again, collective punishment?
We want to know what is going on, but I miss the entrance to the road leading to North Jayyus. We drive through the center of the village and reach South Jayyus (1012). A few wagons and a tractor with an old farmer and his wife are waiting. The man tells us that he has a two year permit, but that his sons have no permits, even though he has 150 dunam of olive trees. It’s hard for him and his wife to do the work on their own, but they keep working because they are not prepared to give up their land. Last Sabbath a group of Israelis came to help picking. The soldiers arrive and everybody gets ready to cross. After all the people have crossed, one of the soldiers checks at what hour they are supposed to close the gate.
We keep driving on the road to Nabi Iliyas. We find the passage under the new bypass road which has been built for the settlers and continue driving to visit Z. in Azzun. An army vehicle is parking on the right side of the road. At the exit, there were only some armed soldiers on the other side.
'Azzun
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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.
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Eyal Checkpoint / Crossing
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Eyal Checkpoint is intended for pedestrians and Palestinians only. This is the main barrier for workers to cross from the center of the West Bank. Workers with a work permit to enter Israel can pass through it for trade, medicine, and visiting prisoners. The checkpoint was built on the Green Line north of Qalqilya in the separation barrier that surrounds the city. The checkpoint began operating in 2004 by the military. Opening hours on weekdays from 04:00 to 19:00. We started holding shifts there in 2007. We arrived at the checkpoint before it opened at 4 in the morning. We reported on the difficult conditions and the long and cramped queues of workers who must continue their journey by commuting to work throughout Israel. At the end of June 2009, the checkpoint was operated by a civil security company, The transit time has been gradually shortened, today it is faster, but the Palestinians still have to arrive very early to make it to the transportation. Usually, about 15,000 people pass through.
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Falamiya North (914)
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Falamiya North (914) Opens 3 times a day for about 40 minutes each time. This checkpoint has extremely important for all farmers in the area since the previous, Falamya checkpoint opening routine of continuously open for 12 hours has been discontinued. This took place after the separation fence was moved westward following the High Court of Justice.
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Falamiya South (935)
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