'Azzun, 'Azzun 'Atma, Eliyahu Crossing, Falamiya, Habla, Sun 7.7.13, Morning
At the early hour of 6 AM , on the way to the lookout on the 'Azzun 'Atma checkpoint, we saw a great many people walking the 2 kilometers to the bus stop at Oranit in order to take buses to their places of work. They told us that, since there are no buses to the checkpoint, they have to go on foot. Outside of the checkpoint there were already a lot of workers standing by the side of the road, hoping someone would come to take them to work, running beside any car that stopped in the hope that it would take them to their day's work. This essentially looked like a day workers' market where they wait every day to get work and bring money home. A humiliating position, combined with permanent personal and economic insecurity.
06:10 'Azzun 'Atma checkpoint
There are about 40 people in line; 6 men are waiting beside the soldier's station, because their documents were taken away, probably since they came through a hole in the fence. They forbade us to talk with them, and forbade them strictly to talk with us; naturally they were scared, even though we attempted to chat with them. New people joined the line constantly, but the line progressed without any problems. Young men who arrived from their homes on the Israeli side of the border fence have to go through the inspection station at the checkpoint; also men from the Henson company (?) returning from work are sent through one by one. They are not allowed to talk to us.
During the trip through the area ready for the new fence, on the way back from 'Azzun 'Atma, in the direction of the Oranit bus stop, we noticed a sign "Here the industrial area will be built ", and there was also a name there which we didn't manage to see, since we were driving. It seems that they are once again using Palestinian land for the expansion and development of the settlements. We will continue to check what exactly is written there next week.
06:40 Habla checkpoint
About 20 people are already outside, which indicates that the passage is pretty quick. The line is short and occasionally more pedestrians join it, also on tractors and bikes. A bedouin arrives from Arab Ramdin (Israeli?). He shows his documents and enters the West Bank.
07:15 Eliyahu Gate checkpoint
When we arrived, the gates
were closed for a minute with an announcement from the loud speaker, and then opened again. "Back to normal", as the announcement from the loud speaker says...About 20 people are waiting in the pedestrian line; everything else is "normal".
07:40 Falamya checkpoint
Quiet, a bicycle goes through, rides off on the patrol road; a truck passes, also a tractor.
On our way to the Falamya checkpoint, at the entrance to 'Azzun, we saw a military car parked, watching those entering. When we came out, at 08:30, a "hammer" had joined it, standing and guarding the main entrance to 'Azzun; at the entrance to 'Azzun from the direction of Izbat Tabib, there was also a military jeep scouting, but the passage remained free.