‘Azzun, Habla, Qalqiliya, Sun 15.5.11, Afternoon
Summary: Since we knew there was a shift at Hawwara, we went to the Qalqilya area and northward. In general, although we did not encounter any surprising or violent event, the atmosphere was very tense because of what was happening in the area.
12:50 Habla checkpoint.
A military vehicle with 3 reserve soldiers was parked on our side. They received us politely and a conversation developed. One of them asked what we were doing there. Devorka explained it to him. The spokesman maintained that he trusted the army officers that all they were doing was for security, and they had no other motivation for their actions. We tried to arouse some skepticism, but they did not change their position. We couldn't upset them with facts…
13:00
The gates opened. Very few went in and out. On our side, there was a wagon with 2 elderly people. On the other side there was no one at all. Quiet and empty.
13:30
We traveled on the road to Isbet Tabib, on the side of which they have started to build a fence, but there was no one there, not even any military vehicle.
13:45 Jayyus
We brought 2 televisions to Naim to sell in his second hand shop. We met with Mazouz, the deputy mayor of the village, and he brought us to the Falamya checkpoint. He explained to us where they are changing the route of the fence. The checkpoint – as we know – is open 12-13 hours a day. The opening and closing hours are different in summer and winter, but they still do not fit the needs of the farmers. Movement at the checkpoint was sparse.
From there on, we toured the villages: Falamya, Jamal, Zibad. In each place we stopped to ask people "how to get there", and were answered helpfully. At Zibad we met a Palestinian tractor driver, who recommended that we not enter the village of 'Abush. Of course, he said, with your sign you could enter, but I recommend that you don't do it today. We listened to him and continued according to the instructions he gave us: there is a road which does not appear on the maps, which connects us with the village of Hajah, and from there to Funduk. In every place where we asked people which way to go, they answered us politely and in a friendly way. But they also warned us about other places…
15:30 Funduk
Everything is normal.
16:00 'Azzun
We were asked by our friend from the village council not to enter the village right now – we listened to him.
16:05 Nebi Elias
We stopped to eat in a restaurant (recommended!). Again, we were received warmly. We watched the difficult events on TV with them. Most people, in each place where there was a TV, were watching with great attention. There was an atmosphere of expectation.
16:20We went home.
הכללית מתוחה עקב המאורעות באזור כולו. המעניין היה הפגישות עם אנשים: פלסטינים וחייילים.
12:50 מחסום חבלה. רכב צבאי עם 3 מילואימניקים חונה בצד שלנו. קיבלו את פנינו בסבר פנים סביר, והתפתחה שיחה. אחד שאל מה אנחנו עושות כאן? דבורקה הסבירה לו. ה"דובר" מביניהם טען שהוא סומך על מפקדי צהל שכל מה שהם עושים – בטחוני, ואין להם מניע אחר לפעולותיהם. ניסינו לעורר שאלות, אך הן לא הזיזו אותו מעמדתו. לא הצלחנו לבלבל אותו עם עובדות…
13:00 השערים נפתחו. מעט עוברים ושבים. מצידנו עגלה עם זוג זקנים. במצד השני לא היו אנשים. ריק ושקט.
13:30. נסענו בכביש של עיזבת טאביב, שלידו התחילו לגדור גדר, אך לא היה שם איש, גם לא רכב צבאי כלשהו.
13:45 ג'יוס. הבאנו לנעים 2 טלוויזיות למכירה בחנות היד השנייה שהוא פותח. (אנחנו ממשיכות, ומבקשות גם מכן, להביא לו כל חפץ בר שימוש).
נפגשנו עם מעזוז סגן ראש הכפר, והוא הוביל אותנו למחסום פלאמיה. הסביר לנו היכן משנים את תוואי הגדר. המחסום – כידוע – פתוח 12 -13 שעות ביום. שעות הפתיחה והסגירה שונות בקיץ ובחורף, אך עדיין אינן מתאימות לצרכים החקלאיים.
התנועה במחסום היתה דלילה מאד.
מכאן ואילך בעצם סיירנו בכפרים: פלאמיה, ג'מאל, זיבאד. בכל מקום עצרנו לשאול אנשים "איך להגיע", ונענינו ביחס אוהד. בזיבאד פגשנו טרקטוריסט פלסטיני, שהציע לנו שלא להיכנס לכפר עבוש. אמנם – הוא אמר – עם השלט שלכן אתן יכולות להיכנס, אבל אני מציע לכן להימנע מזה היום. שמענו בקולו והמשכנו לפי הוראות הנסיעה שנתן לנו: יש כביש שאינו מסומן במפה, שיחבר אותנו עם הכפר חג'ה, ומשם לפונדוק.
בכל מקום ששאלנו אנשים לאן לפנות – ענו לנו בסבר פנים אוהד מאד. אך גם הזהירו אותנו מפני אחרים…
15:30 פונדוק. הכל מתנהל כרגיל.
16:00 עזון – התבקשנו על ידי ידיד שלנו ממועצת הכפר, שלא להיכנס אל הכפר עכשיו… שמענו לו.
16:05 נבי אליאס. שם עצרנו לסעוד במסעדה (מומלצת). ושוב התקבלנו בזרועות פתוחות. ראינו יחד איתם בטלוויזיה את המאורעות הקשים בארבעה מסכים בתוך מסך אחד.
רוב האנשים, בכל מקום שיש טלוויזיה – צופים בה בעירנות רבה. אווירה של לקראת משהו.
16:20 יצאנו הביתה.
'Azzun
See all reports for this place-
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.
-
Habla
See all reports for this place-
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
-
Qalqiliya checkpoint
See all reports for this place-
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.
Nina SebaAug-18-2025Azzun: Enclosed by a high fence and the gate to the village is closed
-