Azzun, Beit Iba, Jit, Mon 22.10.07, Morning
Beit Iba 09.30
The confusion, noise and dust reign as always as the building work continues. We stop at the kiosk and hear that the situation is no better or worse but that make a living is difficult.
The area of the car checking has been brought nearer to the pedestrians. No line of cars at the entrance. Also the line here passes through quickly. Women are not checked at all and young men have their ids checked quickly. Older men are also not checked.
At the entrance the line of women is short but everyone has to open their bags which are carefully checked. Because we cannot see the end of the line of cars we cross the road which has been tarred so as to improve the conditions of the exit. The commander tries to stop us but Osnat politely but firmly explains to him that we are not bothering him and we can stand and watch the cars coming out from Nablus. He does not like this (to put it mildly) but there was a silent agreement.
9.55
We counted 13 cars at the exit but they passed within 10 minutes. When we came back to the checking area we met lieutenant colonel Varon who introduced himself as the commander of the unit of the crossings and sergeant B(ir) the commander of the brigade responsible for the Nablus sector. All this only deals with the military police to whoever does not understand. We had a long conversation about the functioning of his soldiers and he says that since they arrived at the checkpoint the amount of violence has decreased and we cast doubt on this statement and tried to strengthen this doubt by examples and facts. Because he likes to be heard more than he likes to listen and though it was a very polite conversation it does not seem to have been of much use. He asked us to bring exceptional cases to his knowledge through "the normal channels" that is through Hanah Barag? And gave as an example a military policewoman who he had pulled out of Hawarra because of her violent and rude behavior.
10.45
8 cars because the soldiers are busy checking a cart and donkey of one of the porters.
10.50
We leave Beit Iba.
Jit.
No cars
Azzun
The entrance is open.
(At Qalqiliya no line but many Israeli cars in the parking lot. Uriel our guest continues to photograph.)
11.40 We leave
'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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Beit Iba
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A perimeter checkpoint west of the city of Nablus. Operated from 2001 to 2009 as one of the four permanent checkpoints closing on Nablus: Beit Furik and Awarta to the east and Hawara to the south. A pedestrian-only checkpoint, where MachsomWatch volunteers were present daily for several hours in the morning and afternoon to document the thousands of Palestinians waiting for hours in long queues with no shelter in the heat or rain, to leave the district city for anywhere else in the West Bank. From March 2009, as part of the easing of the Palestinian movement in the West Bank, it was abolished, without a trace, and without any adverse change in the security situation.
Jun-4-2014Beit-Iba checkpoint 22.04.04
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Jit Junction
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The checkpoint is located on Route 60 near at the junction with Route 55, near the village of Jit. There was a checkpoint for vehicles passing between the north and south of the West Bank, which was abolished towards 2010. Since then, surprise checkpoints have been set up there from time to time with a police or Border Police vehicle, and vehicles and their passengers are inspected.
Anat PolakJul-17-2025Yitzhar Road, Jit Junction: traffic jam
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