'Awarta, 'Azzun 'Atma, Beit Furik, Huwwara, Shomron Crossing, Za'tara (Tapuah), Thu 16.8.12, Morning

 Translator: Hanna K.

End of summer and end of Ramadan – the roads, both in Israel and in Palestine are empty.

06:20 Azzun Atma: There are very few people waiting in the queue. There are two computer stations active. Yesterday, so the commander tells us, there were computer failures and the queues became very long. He asks whether we have connections up there, to put pressure on them to improve the computer set up.

We saw no workmen coming from the direction of the agricultural gate.

06:30 Samaria Crossing:There is no police at the way out from Israel. There are road works on the lane leaving Israel.

After Ariel we overtook with difficulty at long Israeli truck which transported hundreds of cements sacks in the direction of the settlements.

06:55 Za'tara/Tapuah: Border policemen at the stations, detaining vehicles for the inspection of papers. Because of the sparse traffic on the road no queues were formed.

At the square opposite the entrance to Beitathere was a border-police vehicle.

Yitzhar/Burin CPs:There was no military activity.

07:Beit Furik: No soldiers and the traffic flows. On the guard tower hangs a green & white new flag.

Awarta:The yellow iron bar is closing the road to the village and to Nablus. A spokeswoman from the IDF promised me this morning that the answer to my letter (sent a year ago) about the locked iron bar, is ready and she is waiting for a confirmation to mail it.

07:35 Huwwara:No soldiers were seen at the CP. But we noticed that there is light in the guard tower.

On the way to Beracha settlement there is a soldier and another one was guarding the hitchhiking post.

Burin/Yitzhar:No soldiers.

In the town of Huwwara few traffic and all shops are closed.

07:50 Za'tara/Tapuach CP.:Border police checking the few cars which are crossing the junction.  More soldiers have been seen in the CP. area.