'Azzun 'Atma, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), יום ב' 18.5.09, בוקר

Translation:  Suzanne O.

Azun Atma

6:35 a.m. 

There are some 50 people in the queue waiting to leave the village.  2 soldiers inspect them fairly quickly.  The average waiting time:  about half an hour.

Kafel Hares

7:05 a.m.

There is no roadblock.

Zeita

7:10 a.m. 

The entrance is barred.

Za'atra Junction

7:15 a.m. 

The traffic from the north flows.

7:20 a.m. 

At the entrance to Beita there are no soldiers.

Yitzhar Junction:  no soldiers.

Huwwara roadblock

7:30 a.m. 

There are 10 cars in the queue from Nablus southwards.  The x-ray machine is functioning.  We monitored the waiting time:  5 minutes.  3 cars were turned back at the inspection.  We found out that one of the cars had no permit.  There are two checkpoints at the roadblock.  At one of them is a female soldier with a dog who inspects the cars from all sides, after the passengers have alighted.  The inspection takes place at the checkpoint and bars the crossing of the rest of the cars.  The average time of each inspection:  5 minutes.

The roadblock commander is lieutenant O. (Ofir)

8:00 a.m. 

There are 20 people at the pedestrian crossing.  The average waiting time:  7 minutes. 

Rina chatted to a few stallholders and was told that, over the past week, no one had bothered them.

8:25 a.m.

There are 13 cars in the queue at the exit from Nablus.  A taxi arrives and 5 youngsters get out dressed in what look like Boy Scout uniforms.  The youngsters are stood in a row, joined by two soldiers and a female soldier photographed the whole group.  The youngsters smiled and after being photographed got back in the taxi and drove off.

8:40 a.m.

Captain Abu Rukon from the DCO arrives.  Rina talked to him and, five minutes later, he opened another checkpoint for vehicles.

8:50 a.m.

There are 17 cars in the queue.  The average waiting time: 15 minutes.  The soldiers are in no hurry, they take a break between inspections, and chat to each other.

In the cell: no detainees.

Awarta

8:55 a.m. 

There are 9 cars in the queue.

Beit Furiq roadblock

9:05 a.m. 

There is one car at the exit from Nablus.

Awarta

9:20 a.m. 

A private car, with a parcel of fabric on the back seat, is detained on the pretension that it is not a commercial vehicle.

According to the driver he was not allowed to cross at Huwwara on the pretension that it is a commercial vehicle and he was directed to Awarta.  While Rina spoke to Abu Rukon on the telephone, the sergeant instructed the driver to cross.  A soldier in the look out post photographed us with a camera, apparently a video camera.  The DCO representative also photographed us with his cell phone.

Za'atra

9:45 a.m. 

There are 12 cars from the north.