'Azzun 'Atma, Shomron Crossing, Fri 1.5.09, Morning

08:30  ‘Azzun ‘Atma.  Two female soldiers lean against a concrete block in front of the checkpoint, their weapons pointed toward the road.  Some distance from them, closer to the checkpoint, an older woman in uniform, who turned out to be a volunteer stands.  She said that she came to do what “you should be doing, but aren’t.  What you’re doing is very easy.”

One of the female soldiers said to us in a hostile tone that we could go through the checkpoint, but we do so on our responsibility.  If we hadn’t gone through, we would have had to move away from the area.  The checkpoint was empty.

After we returned home, Ofra T. received a report from Mikki F. that there was a confrontation later between a Palestinian woman and the female soldiers.  The nice soldiers hit her with a weapon and she was taken to the hospital.  The soldiers claimed that she tried to grab the weapon.

08:45  Shomron Gate checkpoint.  The army detained a Palestinian who didn’t have an ID card or an entry permit.  The female police on site asked us to move our car away.  Two men and a woman from the Terminal Administration were also present.