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

A routine day

Falamiya North, 914

Opening hours 16:00-16:30

15:55 We arrive. Beyond the checkpoint the workers wait for its opening in order to return to their homes. The soldiers arrive immediately after us.
16:00 The soldiers open the lock but not the gate – this is done by Nina, and thus she enables a man mounted on a donkey to pass, while the soldiers stand aside and look on. To Nina’s question why they didn’t open the gate they reply: The gate is open.
A rather young man in a car stops near us and complains that Walid (The passage officer) doesn’t help him and never answers phone calls. It is not so clear what the matter is. He has to change irrigation pipes for the Za’atar in the plot he is cultivating (80 dunams) and needs permission to transport them.
Pedestrians pass, among which there is an 87 years old woman who lifts a sack of arum on her back and continues to march with the energy of a young woman.
The complainer fills his car up with workers who returned from the field and drives them home. On our way out he returns driving wildly and fills his car up with more workers to drive home.
Most of the workers are young man who are gatherd in the cars awaiting them or in tractors which passed by the checkpoint. A few, the unlucky ones, are still waiting. All pass in good spirits, smiling.
16:20 Everybody has passed. We left Falamie North.

Falamiya South (Jayyus West) 935

Opening hours 16:30-16:55

16:35 we arrive. Beyond the gate there is the sight of workers waiting to return to their home, and a few tractors. The soldiers arrive and come slowly out to open the gate. The workers stands in line and approach one by one to the post of the soldiers.
About 30 persons passed and nine tractors. One of them stopped, laden with sacks, containers and crates full of fruit, vegetables and greens from the field and wood for the heating of the house, and its owner, who arrived with the tractor driver, unpacked it and transferred it to his car which was waiting for him since morning, because he is not allowed to enter with his car to his fields, and drove off. On some of the tractors there were passengers. In the end there came a lorry with a driver and a passenger.
16:55 The gate is shut.