Agricultural crossings, Habla, Jubara (Kafriat), Tue 17.5.11, Morning

We hadn’t been in the field for about five months, and after reading the regular reports decided to visit the agricultural crossings and the villages.

We entered the territories through the Eliyau gate.  No one paid us any attention, and traffic flowed freely.

We reached the Habla gate at 07:30.  It had opened at 07:00, when, according to the soldiers, the children went through.  Workers in the plant nurseries were crossing when we arrived.

A few dozen workers stand by the gate; they enter five at a time to have their ID’s checked.  The inspection is quick, the soldiers easygoing (reservists).  They say they don’t have answers to our questions “and the less we know, the better,” with all that implies.

A tractor also went out to work while we were there.

The gate is open three times a day, at 07:00, 13:00 and 18:00.

From there we continued on Route 55, passing Khirbet a-Nabi Elias, Izbet Tabib, Azzun and the picturesque village of Sir on the way to Jayyous.

08:00  The Jayyous agricultural crossing is closed.

We got on the road connecting Azzun with Tulkarm.  Most of the roads are unpaved, but they’re working on all the roads, apparently with funds from donors and the Palestinian Authority.  There’s no sign of the occupation except, of course, the fence surrounding the entire region.

The area doesn’t look the same as it used to.

We went through the village of Falmia and visited one of Nadim’s relatives who told us that things are ok with them; he has a permit to work in Israel, and the village is quiet.

We continued to the Jubara gate, which was closed to those coming from Tulkarm.  The village can be entered only from one direction.  We bypassed Tulkarm and reached Anabta, where there’s an unmanned checkpoint.

We reentered Israel through the Te’anim gate, which was manned; cars entering Israel are inspected.