Eyal Crossing, Eliyahu Crossing, Qalqiliya, Sun 16.8.09, Afternoon
Summary
Only a few days remain before Ramadan, a month full of blessings and rewards for Muslims. To prepare to reap the fruits of Ramadan one can well imagine the Occupier going ahead to ensure that life for Palestinians is the exact opposite of charity, patience and mercy. In fact, already this week, we saw evidence of closed, as opposed to open, minds — and a pointer that the month ahead will be a long and difficult one in the OPT .
Eyal
Not one worker seen going back from work, but it's early as we make our way up to Zufim and on to:
Qalqiliya
Here there are two soldiers atop the lookout tower, but traffic flows smoothly in both directions into and out of Qalqiliya.
Shaare Eliyahu
On our way out of the OPT, we are not asked for our IDs, merely asked to open the car's trunk; then the back of the car is thoroughly searched, and eggs are spied on the back seat, as well as two plastic shopping bags. "What you got there?" asks the soldier. Maybe the IDF have become agricultural or customs inspectors and Palestine has become an independent entity in the hours since we left home? The soldier demands to know what's inside the plastic bags, how many eggs we have, and whether we intend to sell them (all 30 of them). This altercation is a mere annoyance for us, but we put ourselves in the shoes of our fellow citizens, who happen to be Palestinian, and who happen to enjoy shopping in Qalqiliya or other Palestinian locales. They are made to suffer abuse and questioning that hardly befits the "security" of the State.
Ras Atiya
We have picked up a young woman and a few of her six young sons en route from their nearby village to visit her sister in Ras Atiya. At the agricultural gate/checkpoint which we have crossed, in the car, without problems in the past, we're told, "No way can you cross. What, to the Arab side?" We stand in the middle of the separation barrier and want to turn the car around, but there's a soldier in front of the car, "Well, you don't care for soldiers in any case, do you?" is the unbelievable retort of the on-duty commander.
All in all, one can see that the IDF is gearing up for Ramadan, a month that is the exact opposite of charity, patience and mercy.
Eliyahu CP (109) / Crossing
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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.
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Eyal Checkpoint / Crossing
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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.
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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.
Nina SebaAug-18-2025Azzun: Enclosed by a high fence and the gate to the village is closed
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