‘Azzun ‘Atma, Mon 27.4.09, Morning
We arrived at the checkpoint at 0705 and stayed until 0740.
It was very busy, possibly because of the closure of the West Bank. We thought that maybe people with permits to work within the Green Line had to find work in the West Bank for the day. We saw some people waiting across the road after exiting, negotiating with potential employers that stopped by, and afterwards entering their cars.
Some of the people came from the Beit Amin side so they had to go through both checkpoints on each side of Azzun Atma to get there. We were told that the situation at Beit Amin was worst but we could not go there to confirm this.
There were two soldiers at the checkpoint but only one was checking the permits. We asked why both can't do this to speed things up and they explained that according to their orders, one has to be alert and watch the other and the surroundings. We counted about 40 people waiting beyond the gate for their permits to be checked.
We spoke to some of the people that were waiting for potential employers at the other side of the road and they raised the following issues:
- They asked to photograph the checkpoint thinking that photos have a greater impact
- They complained about having to waist so much time going through both checkpoints
- The said how difficult life is because Azzun Atma is divided and because the checkpoint is not open at night
- They feel very frustrated with the daily checkpoint experience
- Some of the people that work in the settlements were especially bitter because of the treatment they get while working, they are assigned an armed guard to watch over them although some of them have permits to work within the Green Line, therefore in theory, can wander around freely
One good point I noticed in relation to MachsomWatch: one of the potential employers approached the checkpoint while waiting for an employee. He seemed to know both the soldiers and the employee but the soldier asked him not to come too near although I was allowed to stand right next to the gate and the soldiers. I assume this means that the soldiers are accepting MachsomWatch and its work.
'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
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