Falamiya North Checkpoint (914), Falamiya South Checkpoint (935)

Falamya north

The gate opened at 05:50.  Some people had already entered by the time we arrived and others warmed themselves by a fire.  Only a few (5) tractors arrived because the drivers feared becoming mired in mud.  They’re harvesting fresh za’atar (hyssop) now, to market on the West Bank and in Israel.

Falamya south

Here, too, a separate entrance for people is under construction, paved and fenced.  But this time, perhaps because there were so few people, it wasn’t used.  One tractor driver who’d entered through the northern gate exited an hour later from the south, arriving with a box full of za’atar.  Otherwise, he’d have had to wait until the afternoon because of the restricted hours during which he could enter and exit.