'Azzun 'Atma, Eliyahu Crossing, Habla, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Mon 31.12.12, Morning

The area is quiet, but a bus of children is delayed at the Eliyahu checkpoint, on its way to take the children to school;  the children were certainly late for school.

06:16 'Azzun 'Atma

Fewer  people than usual were waiting outside at this hour.  About 70 people in line and all in the covered area.  There is also a cement track with a turnstyle that is presently not in operation.  The village people who have a permit also for crossing at night pass through the gate in their cars.  In 3 minutes, 16 people went through, so that those waiting should get through within less than half-an-hour.  According to the soldiers, the line was about this long from the opening hour and, only on Sundays when those people having permits for the whole week go through, is the line any longer.

06:35  We went to the Tamar gate from the northern end of the road leading to it. There was  no army and no one was going through though, according to our information, the gate is open from 06:30 - 07:00.  We traveled around the entrance, from the direction of Oranit, and, also there we didn't see anyone.  A call to the DCO provided the answer:  we will check.  We waited a little longer and then continued on our way to Habla.  A number of additional calls to the DCO did not provide any new information and then a call to Tedesa gave us the information that for the past week the gate has been open only from 06:00 - 06:30.

07:10  Habla

The gate was already open and people were passing through.  No one was waiting in line and everyone who arrived goes through immediately. (As we know, the gate opens at 06:30 so one can understand that everyone has already gone through, in spite of the fact that at other times this was not the situation).

07:30  Eliyahu gate

There are no pedestrians in line but, in the inspection area for vehicles, the childrens' buses are standing (as usual, empty on the way to Ar Ramadin).  We waited until they went through and then traveled behind them to Ar Ramadin;  the children were already waiting and got on the buses right away.  The buses went through the checkpoint at 07:40.  The drivers said that they had waited at the checkpoint for inspection for more than 30 minutes, which was because the inspectors preferred to check the private cars first, even those that arrived after the buses!  Clearly the children were late for school where they were supposed to arrive by 07:45.

Because of last week's reports, we decided to go to Huwwara.  On the way from J'at, in the direction of the Huwarra junction (road #60), next to the descent to the village Madama, a jeep was standing, but we couldn't discern any activity.

08:20  Yitzhar junction

A jeep and soldiers in the direction of Huwwara set up a flying checkpoint and inspect cars.

08:25  Huwwara

There are no soldiers in the area of the checkpoint and the crossing is free.  Within the turnoff to Beit Furiq there is an active construction, probably for improvement of the roundabout.  There is a sign on the fence showing the way to Itamar with hiking symbols.  When we returned to the Itamar junction, the soldiers had already taken it down.

08:45  Junction of Za'tara and Tapuach.

There are no soldiers at the junction; free crossing;  there were soldiers in the booth opposite the junction.  On the fence around the parking area, Bennet's campaign workers were hanging election posters again.