‘Anabta, Deir Sharaf, Habla, Irtah (Sha’ar Efrayim), Jubara (Kafriat), Sun 20.2.11, Afternoon
Summary
We learned a new word recently, or, rather, its use in the Middle East was new. “Salmiya,” based on the word for “peace” is non violence, and we have seen what that can do – create a revolution. In contrast, here, the Israeli authorities maintain an occupation, and military, economic and social control over millions of Palestinians with coercion and force. MachsomWatchers, but not the general Israeli population that is made to be terrified of terrorists, who are, by definition, Palestinian, know and see and hear and feel, day in day out, that the Palestinian struggle for survival, the Palestinian determination to overcome the Israeli occupation is non violent. That is their strength and will be their triumph.
13:00-14:05 Habla – Gate 1392
When it’s winter, finally, it’s really winter. The wind is cruel and unbending, the overall atmosphere at the agricultural gate checkpoint, which is not yet open for business, is cruel and stark. It opens late, but closes, if not on time, then early, before 14:00, but there are not many people on our side of the checkpoint today. On the other side, more, including trucks and the usual assortment of tractors. But where we stand, we’re treated to the sight of a little boy on a little grubby white donkey, who dismounts to go to the checking booth, tethering the donkey to the half open gate, meaning that the large trucks have to nudge past him.
13:25 The school bus, filled with the boys, comes by, and can seen it waiting for many minutes already on the far side of the Separation Barrier, and, as usual, two soldiers carry out their inspection inside it. Another ten minutes pass before the bus bearing the Bedouin girls comes by, and they’re all smiles and waves.
Route 55
By now, there is driving rain, which stops only near Beit Iba and Deir Sharaf. Every now and again, a brief sight of spring – trees in pink or white blossom or specks of bright red or soft pink in the undergrowth. Here, too, less traffic than usual for a Sunday when visitors, Palestinian Israelis, come to Nablus to shop or go on Route 60 onwards to Jenin.
Anabta and Jubara
Traffic flows freely, and when, as today, we drive through the “settlers” line, surprisingly, no questions asked by the soldiers.
Irtah
The usual flow of workers coming from their taxis and mini buses after a day’s work in Israel, the usual armed guard at the gate to the terminal.
'Anabta CP
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'Anabta CP
The checkpoint is located south of the village of 'Anabta, at the intersection of Road 60 (leading to Nablus at the entrance to Area A), with Road (57, 557, 5576) facing west towards the Einav settlement and the checkpoint at the exit from the West Bank - Figs checkpoint. Until 2010 we used to watch the intersection and report the long columns created due to a slow inspection of the vehicles in both directions.
Oct-28-2011Anabta checkpoint 24.10.11
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Deir Sharaf checkpoint
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Deir Sharaf checkpoint is located west of Nablus and south of the settlement of Shavei Shomron, at the entrance to the village of Deir Sharaf on the road leading to Nablus. The checkpoint was activated in early March 2009 after the Beit Iba checkpoint was closed. Palestinians are allowed through the checkpoint , but not for Israelis. Unlike the checkpoints leading to Qalqilya and Tulkarm, crossing of Israeli Palestinians is only allowed on Saturdays.
Nina SebaFeb-28-2024Deir Sharaf - the entrance to the village
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Habla
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Habla CP (1393)
The Habla checkpoint (1393) was established on the lands of the residents of Qalqilya, on the short road that
connected it for centuries to the nearby town of Habla. The separation barrier intersects this road twice and cut off the residents of Qalqilya from their lands in the seam zone.(between the fence and the green line).
There is a passage under Road 55 that connects Qalqilya to the sabotage This agricultural barrier is used by the farmers and nursery owners established along Road 55 from the Green Line and on both sides of the kurkar road leading to the checkpoint.
This agricultural checkpoint serves the residents of Arab a-Ramadin al-Janoubi (detached from the West Bank), who pass through it to the West Bank and back to their homes. The opening hours (3 times a day) of this agricultural checkpoint are longer than usual, about an hour (recently shortened to 45 minutes), and are coordinated with the transportation hours of a-Ramadin children studying in the occupied in the West Bank.
Nina SebaAug-18-2025Habla: The gate is in the process of closing
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Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim)
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The checkpoint is for Palestinians only. It is the main barrier to the passage of workers from the northern West Bank to Israel. Workers with a permit to work in Israel and also for trade (with appropriate permissions), medicine, and visiting prisoners. One can cross the checkpoint only on foot. The checkpoint is located north of Road 557 and south of Tulkarm. Operated by a civil security company, opening hours: between 4:00 and 19:00 on weekdays. As members of Machsom Watch, we began our shifts to this location in 2007. We arrived before it opened at 4 in the morning and report since, on the harsh conditions and the long and crowded queues of workers. The workers who pass by continue their journey by transportation to work throughout Israel. In the first period of its activity, about 3,000 and then 5,000 people passed through this checkpoint every day. Due to the small number of checking points and arbitrary delays for long periods of time in the "rooms", workers feared losing their transportation. Hence workers leave their homes at 2:30 at night to be among the first. Today, 15,000 pass and the transition is faster. Workers are still leaving their homes very early to get past the checkpoint at 7 p.m. In an adjacent compound, there is a terminal for the transfer of goods on a commercial scale, using the back-to-back method.
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Jubara (Kafriat)
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The Jabra checkpoint was on Road 557, south of Tulkarm, on the side of the Figs Pass, which is located within the Palestinian Authority (a few kilometers east of the Green Line), and serves as an entry barrier from the territories to Israel. The checkpoint to the village of Jubara, which until 2013 was in the seam area, blocked and surrounded by a fence, was intended for the passage of the family members of the house next to the checkpoint, and also for the MachsomWatch volunteers (with special permission only), on their way to checkpoint 753. on the other side of the village. The soldiers supervising the "fig crossing" also supervised the crossing at this checkpoint, in our shifts we often waited a long time until the key was found and the gate opened. The checkpoint was abolished and became part of the separation fence that was moved west following the High Court.
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