'Anabta, 'Azzun, Beit Iba, Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim), Jit Junction

Place:

Beit Iba

Jit Junction

'Anabta

Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim)

'Azzun

Observers:

Rahel A., Riki S., Amira A. (reporting)

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Dec-22-2014

Morning

Irtah

The CP was crowded with people, following yesterday's strike.

The pressure was alleviated by opening up additional checking-booths (12 instead of the usual 3-4). The staff worked more efficiently and the anxious day-laborers were not stuck in lines in vain.

Within one day an iron frame intended for roofing had been constructed - an improvement awaited since March 2014!

Well, what is it that happened? The workmen passing through Irtah had finally joined forces and resisted by striking. All together, they collaborated in demanding improvement of the system.

And now, "let's see how long this change persists." Most of the workmen could not believe that it would. They mentioned a strike they had four years ago and the changes then lasted for some two weeks before declining into an even worsened situation.

Today it took the men half an hour from the beginning of the line to its end and reaching their boss's vehicle, "instead of the usual hour-and-a-half to two hours." There was a sense of pride that their achievement had been the result of their strike. They were more peaceful and content. Yesterday, some of their representatives had gone to talk with the Palestinian DCL and the Israeli DCL

A workman from Jenin (left home at 03:00), working in Petah Tikva, arrived on the scene with the news that following the complaints at the Palestinian DCL, the Palestinian police would come by today to put some order into the mess of the lines. (MW: Worth following up).

The Palestinians discussed the direct connection between the recent violence (terror) and the malicious conduct of the Israelis at the CP's.

The Israeli journalists (Haaretz, YNET this morning) took in the authorities' excuse for the worsened situation as being the unfortunate (on both sides) result of the building improvements being affected. But WE know that this is simply the system! the system designed to humiliate, degrade and be mean, in order to attain and exercise power. True for the CP's at Irtah, Eyal, 300, and particularly Qalandiya. Just read the reports and see. Some of the Palestinians seemed to accept these excuses too, but seniors at the CP's knew better: the meanness is not only of recent days. The conditions are growing more and more difficult all the time. The Israelis know nothing about the hardship afflicted on the Palestinian laborer, who is constructing his country and home.

G. has been employed these past 30 years in a nursery in the Givat Shaul area in Jerusalem. "Does your employer know about all the hardship you are going through day by day" we asked. "No, he doesn't. People get out of the CP injured and hurt. I was hit on my back too. Ambulances are there evacuating injured persons on a daily basis."

Returning through ‘Anabta, the CP leading into Tulkarm was deserted and the almond trees were in bloom...

Beit Iba.The road is being improved and will be a 4-lane road. New shops are being built along the route. No sign of a barrier.

We cut through in the direction of Jit. At the Jit junction there were soldiers at the entrance to the Kadum road. Their weapons were directed toward young kids on their way to school. They claimed that yesterday kids had thrown stones at passing vehicles.

'Azzun:Three soldiers were at the entrance.

Location Description

'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.

Irtah (Sha'ar Efrayim)

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The checkpoint is for Palestinians only. It is the main barrier to the passage of workers from the northern West Bank to Israel.
Workers with a permit to work in Israel and also for trade (with appropriate permissions), medicine, and visiting prisoners.
One can cross the checkpoint only on foot. The checkpoint is located north of Road 557 and south of Tulkarm. Operated by a civil security company, opening hours: between 4:00 and 19:00 on weekdays.
As members of Machsom Watch, we began our shifts to this location in 2007.
We arrived before it opened at 4 in the morning and report since, on the harsh conditions and the long and crowded queues of workers. The workers who pass by continue their journey by transportation to work throughout Israel.

In the first period of its activity, about 3,000 and then 5,000 people passed through this checkpoint every day. Due to the small number of checking points and arbitrary delays for long periods of time in the "rooms", workers feared losing their transportation.
Hence workers leave their homes at 2:30 at night to be among the first. Today, 15,000 pass and the transition is faster. Workers are still leaving their homes very early to get past the checkpoint at 7 p.m.

In an adjacent compound, there is a terminal for the transfer of goods on a commercial scale, using the back-to-back method.

Anabta checkpoint

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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-29-2011

Anabta checkpoint 24.10.11

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Jit Junction checkpoint

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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.

May-14-2014

Yehudith Levin

14.05.14 Jit junction צומת ג'ית

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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 info-icon 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.