'Azzun, Eliyahu Crossing, Habla, Qalqiliya, Mon 23.5.11, Morning
Habla Gate 1392
06:59 The gate is open, but no one is crossing.
07:00 2 buses with children arrive. The drivers get off for inspection. The 2 buses go through first.
07:04 The first group enters (5 people)
07:30 The group of 5 exits. 25 people go through in 26 minutes. The passage is relatively slow.
Eliyahu Gate
07:35 While traveling, we see about 15 people waiting.
Qalqilya junction A meeting with Nidal; signature on power of attorney for cancelling the GSS restriction category.
07:45 Qalqilya checkpoint open, no soldiers.
08:10 Falamya gate. Empty. The soldiers are sitting in the booth.
08:30 A bicycle + a tractor driver pass through with no delays.
08:40 A small truck arrives. 3 passengers and another tractor with its driver enter for inspection and pass through with no delay. From the other side, a man riding a donkey arrives and he also goes through quickly. We leave and follow after a tank car sprinkling water on the dusty road.
08:50 Jayyus-'Azzun road. Flying checkpoint. 9 soldiers stop a taxi in the middle of the road (on the white dividing line.( They open and inspect the baggage compartment of the car and let it go. They don't check us; on the contrary, they help return the little flag which had fallen by mistake. Another 3 vehicles arrive from 'Azzun: A private car is immediately sent back (a man with a girl) - not clear why, they didn't even inspect him. The second vehicle went through immediately. The third vehicle (taxi): the people get out for inspection; they inspect the inside of the car and let everyone through. The taxi behind us also went through with no inspection. 2 vehicles from the other direction go right through. And now the soldiers scatter and go into the field, as though they are on some exercise practicing how to do a flying checkpoint. A collector of scrap materials beside the checkpoint area whom we met tells us things are generally quiet.
09:10 Isbet Tabib. A truck loaded with all kinds of movable goods is standing on the inner road from Isbet Tabib to 'Azzun, about 500 meters from Isbet Tzbib, surrounded by military vehicles and a lot of confusion. We call the village head and he says he will come right over. Meanwhile, we meet another man from the village. We drive in the direction of the truck and see 5 vehicles guarding the truck with the goods and also 2 soldiers standing on the hill. Shoshana takes photographs. We return to the gate to meet the village head. The soldiers stand at the entrance of the village next to the gate. One of the soldiers standing right next to the gate shouted at us when we tried to photograph. He moved from his position when we informed him that it was a civilian area. At 10:03 nothing has happened; we enter the village. Everything was quiet, the children were in school. The village head said that the children would come out of school soon in order to demonstrate. Of course, we contacted Rayah and the women in the afternoon shift.
10:20 We drove again in the direction of the truck with the goods, it was still there. They had not yet started to unload the goods.
10:30 We left. The village head, sitting at the entrance to the village, said that they are waiting to see where they will put the goods. If they block the olive trees, they will go there. We return. Eliyahu Gate is empty.