'Azzun 'Atma, Habla, Mon 11.6.12, Morning

06:10  'Azzun 'Atma

There is a long and crowded line;  more than 100 people.  2 inspection booths were active inside and another one for inspecting packages outside of the booth.

An Israeli contractor arrived and spoke with the soldiers.  They removed his worker from the line and brought him through the vehicles gate.  The worker gained an extra half hour this way.

The passage here was much quicker than at Habla, which we saw clearly when we were at Habla later on, even after taking into account that there are 2 inspectors here with 2 computers.  They said that this is because of the magnometer at Habla, but this doesn't seem logical, and our feeling was those working in perpheral locations simply work more slowly.

A man who arrived at 06:10, when we arrived, was clocked as taking 27 minutes to go through, a record for this place as far as we know.  The length of the line didn't change much the  whole time as people were arriving at the same pace as they were leaving.

06:30

3 children arrived, around 12 years old, with backpacks.  A little odd, since school is already over and they weren't wearing their uniforms.  Nevertheless, after speaking with the soldiers, they let them through to enter 'Azzun 'Atma.

06:45

2 soldiers arrive with 2 Palestinians from the direction of the Tamar gate, west along the wall of 'Azzun 'Atma.  The soldiers said that had got through a hole in the wall and were caught.  They were sent to sit on the side.  This was when we were about to leave, so we don't know the end of the story.  Usually, they just send them home.

We went to the Tamar gate, which was already closed,  but there were a lot of people that went through it and were now waiting for their employers to take them to work.

07:00  Habla

There were soldiers who now opened the gates.  There were about 20 people behind the gates, waiting, and more people kept arriving from the side where they had apparently been waiting in the shade of the container.

07:05

The first people went into the turnstile, but it was still not open and it took a few minutes for the first one to reach the inspection.  The passage here was much slower than at 'Azzun 'Atma.  Naturally, since there was only one inspector;  nevertheless, 40 people went through in 28 minutes.  Also wagons go through, with donkeys and horses.  A huge tractor came from Habla and went through.  A night guard came, with his donkey and wagon, from the nurseries on the Israeli side of the wall.  They let him wait and bake until they were ready to let him through - he also has "to stand in line", even though there wasn't even a line on this side to stand in!

Half an hour later, there were still about 30 people in line.  Not clear whether they had been waiting all the time in the shade or if they simply arrived later, since we are not able to see the road from Habla to the checkpoint and who is passing by there.

06:10  'Azzun 'Atma

There is a long and crowded line;  more than 100 people.  2 inspection booths were active inside and another one for inspecting packages outside of the booth.

An Israeli contractor arrived and spoke with the soldiers.  They removed his worker from the line and brought him through the vehicles gate.  The worker gained an extra half hour this way.

The passage here was much quicker than at Habla, which we saw clearly when we were at Habla later on, even after taking into account that there are 2 inspectors here with 2 computers.  They said that this is because of the magnometer at Habla, but this doesn't seem logical, and our feeling was those working in perpheral locations simply work more slowly.

A man who arrived at 06:10, when we arrived, was clocked as taking 27 minutes to go through, a record for this place as far as we know.  The length of the line didn't change much the  whole time as people were arriving at the same pace as they were leaving.

06:30

3 children arrived, around 12 years old, with backpacks.  A little odd, since school is already over and they weren't wearing their uniforms.  Nevertheless, after speaking with the soldiers, they let them through to enter 'Azzun 'Atma.

06:45

2 soldiers arrive with 2 Palestinians from the direction of the Tamar gate, west along the wall of 'Azzun 'Atma.  The soldiers said that had got through a hole in the wall and were caught.  They were sent to sit on the side.  This was when we were about to leave, so we don't know the end of the story.  Usually, they just send them home.

We went to the Tamar gate, which was already closed,  but there were a lot of people that went through it and were now waiting for their employers to take them to work.

07:00  Habla

There were soldiers who now opened the gates.  There were about 20 people behind the gates, waiting, and more people kept arriving from the side where they had apparently been waiting in the shade of the container.

07:05

The first people went into the turnstile, but it was still not open and it took a few minutes for the first one to reach the inspection.  The passage here was much slower than at 'Azzun 'Atma.  Naturally, since there was only one inspector;  nevertheless, 40 people went through in 28 minutes.  Also wagons go through, with donkeys and horses.  A huge tractor came from Habla and went through.  A night guard came, with his donkey and wagon, from the nurseries on the Israeli side of the wall.  They let him wait and bake until they were ready to let him through - he also has "to stand in line", even though there wasn't even a line on this side to stand in!

Half an hour later, there were still about 30 people in line.  Not clear whether they had been waiting all the time in the shade or if they simply arrived later, since we are not able to see the road from Habla to the checkpoint and who is passing by there.