Eyal Crossing, ‘Anabta, ‘Azzun, Deir Sharaf, Eliyahu Crossing, Jubara (Kafriat), Qalqiliya, Thu 18.6.09, Afternoon
Translation: Galia S.
There is only one shift for both routs today and we have decided to travel along different routs in order to see which roadblocks and checkpoints have been removed and which ones remained.
Road 5 – Samaria Passage
We travel up to the road junction leading to the settlements of Pdu'el and Alei-Zahav, turn to this road and drive up to Deir Ballut.
From road 5 to Deir Ballut
Driving along this road, we see that the exit from Buruqin to the road is still blocked, as is the exit from Kafr ad Dik to the road. It's worth mentioning that the Palestinians have been allowed by the army to use this road in the past year, but since these two exits are blocked, they don't use this road much, and it serves mainly the workers who work in the Barkan industrial park and near the settlement of Bruchin.
From Deir Ballut junction to Sanniriya along road 446
The checkpoint at Deir Ballut in unmanned and the traffic is free. Driving northward along road 446 through the villages of Rafat, Zawiya, Mas-ha, Biddya and Sanniriya, we find out that there are no roadblocks on the road except for the biggest one created by the separation fence (which forces the drivers to make a detour of some 15 kilometers).
From Sanniriya to Qalqiliya
From Sanniriya we go on to Beit Amin to the northern checkpoint at the entrance to the village of Azzun Atma inside the occupied territories. The checkpoint has undergone renovation in the last months, demonstrated mainly in the improved conditions of the soldiers at the checkpoint, who can now stay in big shaded areas. The Palestinians' waiting area is unshaded.
We continue of the same road, which goes along the separation fence up to Qalqiliya. Near the village of Jal'ud, where the separation fence close to Green Line and at Alfei Menashe enclave are only 40 meters from apart, the roadblock of the southern exit from Qalqiliya has been removed and traffic flows freely. At the southern entrance to Qalqiliya there is a roadblock of the Palestinian security forces, but they don't stop cars for checking. Palestinian security forces are also stationed at the eastern exit (the main exit) from Qalqiliya.
We go back to road 55 and enter Azzun.
Road 574
From Azzun we drive to gate 753 (the Schoolchildren's Gate) at the entrance to the village of Jubara.
The checkpoint is manned by reservists who try hard (perhaps influenced by our presence) to treat with respect a detainee, a young man without a permit to stay in the village, and a worker who has come back from his work in Israel. Despite their efforts, the young man without a permit has to wait several hours until the soldiers get permission to let him pass (we intervene and call the Humanitarian Center). The deaf worker is released after a short time.
Since it is impossible to leave through gate 407, due to some malfunction at the checkpoint, we go down to Anabta via Beit Lid. The traffic to Tulkarm, Qalqiliya and Nablus via Beit Lid flows freely.
Road 57 – Road 60, The Barrels Checkpoint
The traffic flows. There are soldiers at this checkpoint, but we don't see them. We do notice them later when we try to travel toward Deir Sharaf. According to the commander, the checkpoint is open for traffic 24 hours a day. The traffic is very lively. One car stops for a quick check on leaving Nablus.
Anabta checkpoint
The traffic to and from Tulkarm is slow because Israeli cars are being checked. The five lanes of the new checkpoint aren't open yet and since the checkpoint is close to the junction of roads 57 and 557, people who wait in line and stand on the main road are at risk.
We go back to the Green Line through the Figs Passage and stop at Eyal Passage for about 20 minutes.
Eyal Passage
A continuous flow of employers; cars get to the checkpoint and deposit the workers, who immediately disappear into the checkpoint and pass with no waiting at all. When 20-30 workers arrive at the same time, they, too, pass right away.
Main entrance to Qalqiliya
We leave and go on toward Qalqiliya, intending to check whether there is an operating checkpoint on Thursday afternoon.
The traffic flows freely and we see no soldiers at the checkpoint.
Eliyahu Passage
A group of workers is being checked.
'Anabta CP
See all reports for this place-
'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
-
'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.
-
Deir Sharaf checkpoint
See all reports for this place-
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
-
Eliyahu CP (109) / Crossing
See all reports for this place-
Eliyahu CP (109) / Crossing This checkpoint, also known as the Fruit Crossing, is one of the main checkpoints between Israel and the West Bank. It is located on Route 55 between Alfei Menashe and the turn to Qalqilya and Zufin, more than 4 km east of the Green Line, in the separation fence, which separates Qalqilya from its lands to the south, thus leaving Alfei Menashe West of the fence - the Seam Zone. This checkpoint, a few kilometers across the Green Line, is intended for "Israeli settlement in the West Bank and the population of the Seam Zone." It is managed by a civil company. Palestinians with a special permit for their lands in the seam area are also allowed to pass through it, on foot, and sometimes by car.
-
Eyal Checkpoint / Crossing
See all reports for this place-
Eyal Checkpoint is intended for pedestrians and Palestinians only. This is the main barrier for workers to cross from the center of the West Bank. Workers with a work permit to enter Israel can pass through it for trade, medicine, and visiting prisoners. The checkpoint was built on the Green Line north of Qalqilya in the separation barrier that surrounds the city. The checkpoint began operating in 2004 by the military. Opening hours on weekdays from 04:00 to 19:00. We started holding shifts there in 2007. We arrived at the checkpoint before it opened at 4 in the morning. We reported on the difficult conditions and the long and cramped queues of workers who must continue their journey by commuting to work throughout Israel. At the end of June 2009, the checkpoint was operated by a civil security company, The transit time has been gradually shortened, today it is faster, but the Palestinians still have to arrive very early to make it to the transportation. Usually, about 15,000 people pass through.
-
Jubara (Kafriat)
See all reports for this place-
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.
-
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
-