'Azzun, 'Azzun 'Atma, Habla
'Azzun-‘Atma
05:50: We are on our way to the new gate, tense, as we are not certain about its location. We reached the roundabout of Ornit. On our right, a road led to the Wall. The area was bare. We approached the wall, where near a parked army vehicle there were several soldiers. At 06:00 the soldiers struggled to open a grey iron gate and finally succeeded. A group of about 100 persons was waiting at the top of the hill, waving entrance permits. Two soldiers checked their documents, then they were directed to the military vehicle (where there was a computer), and were listed there in order to make sure they would return by 16:00.
This is an agricultural gate, open 06:00-06:20. Only local landowners are allowed through here. This does not include the lands enclosed within Ornit – these are off bounds. The people were distressed as in the past they had free access to these lands. Moreover, some of these areas were blocked off by barbed wire.- This on top of their despair and pain at the theft of their lands when establishing Ornit and Sharei Tiqvah.
Habla7:00: Opened on time. Some 30 persons on line. Yesterday opening time was 07:15, allegedly due to computer failure. The soldiers were using mobile phones - progress was slow and the line was long. At 07:15 a bus with teachers departed for 'Arab-Ramadan and then a bus entered with pupils for Habla. The line remained much the same when we departed at 07:55.
We continued to 'Azzun – it was open; we were told that yesterday the village had been closed off.