Azzun, Beit Iba, Jit, Qalqiliya, Tue 1.7.08, Morning
Beit Iba checkpoint, 6:30-8:20On the way to the checkpoint: a relatively short line of workers and vehicles at Eliyahu Gate and at the Qalqilya checkpoint. The roadblock at Azzun is open and residents are passing through it. The flags at the Jit intersection are frayed, as if it isn't clear to them what they're still doing there. Beit Iba – very many students, who from time to time form a line a few meters long. As usual, there isn't a clearly defined separate line for women, which leads to confusion among anyone who isn't familiar with the checkpoint. The Palestinians are polite and courteous, and make way for women and the elderly. The soldiers function well, and whenever a line forms the commander comes over to help and also checks people, so the average waiting time isn't more than a few minutes. Another officer who arrives impolitely pushes the people on line a little bit, hoping to create a more-organized line, which in the long run doesn't help. There's also a lot of traffic leaving Nablus, which flows all the time. When we were about to leave an army vehicle carrying a Palestinian arrived. His ID card was taken away and he was put in the pen. The vehicle traffic is light and flows freely.
'Anabta, 08:30 – 09:00When we were at Beit Iba we were asked to see what was happening at 'Anabta. According to the Palestinians, there's a very long wait to leave Tulkarm. In the early morning hours the wait was reported to be one hour. When we arrive there is, in fact, a fairly long line, about 20 vehicles, and the average waiting time is 15-20 minutes. Checks are random and continuous, and from time to time a vehicle is asked to move to the side and is checked more carefully. It might be worth coming to this checkpoint earlier next time, because the Palestinians say there are many problems every morning.
Jubara 09:00-09:20To our request that the gate be opened, the response was that there's no key, and there won't be one in the near future. We asked how people will leave the village in case of an emergency, and were told that when it happens they'll find a solution. For now, and for the foreseeable future, the gate can't be opened. When we tried, nevertheless, to have them check with headquarters we were told there was no point, that we should wait, that it would take a long time. After some more back-and-forth we gave up and drove to Qalqilya.
Qalqilya 09:30-10:00The checkpoint is surrounded by new, shiny barbed wire that prevents passage from every direction. About 10 cars on line to enter and slightly fewer to exit. Here, too, the residents say there was a very long line in the morning and people had to wait a long time. Random checks were conducted while we were there, and people waited only a few minutes. After a short time we continued on our way.
'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.Neta EfroniJun-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.
Yehudith LevinMay-14-201414.05.14 Jit junction צומת ג'ית
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Qalqiliya checkpoint
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Qalqilya is surrounded on all sides by the separation barrier. The only exit from the city is in the east of the city on the road that leaves the city in an easterly direction. This is where the checkpoint was located. When the checkpoint was active until 2009 our shifts watched long queues of cars being inspected at the only exit from the city to the West Bank. The checkpoint was canceled, but there is a military presence at the entrance to the city.Karin LindnerMay-14-2014Etz Ephraim settlement. Nurit overlooks Siniriya
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