'Awarta, Beit Furik, Eliyahu Crossing, Habla, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Thu 7.2.13, Afternoon
Natanya translating.
13.40 Habla checkpoint. A bicycle rider next to the entrance at Habla gate waits patiently until he receives a signal from the soldiers that he can come to the checking room to. In the meantime the border policewoman is searching cars, inside and also the baggage compartment.
13.50 Eliyahu crossing….."This is considered a border checkpoint" tell us male and female soldiers who are present. They cast a glance at passing cars without checking them.
On road 55 we counted 3 military vehicles coming towards us.
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14.25 Huwwara checkpoint. On the way to Nablus at the circle before the checkpoint (from which one turns to the settlements of Bracha, Yitamar and Alon Moreh) there is a new construction which is supposed to be ancient with new olive trees around it.
At the hiking post in the direction of the settlement of Bracha there is a guard in the sentry tower opposite the post and also a guard sitting at the exit of the settlement.
At the checkpoint there are sentry posts which are not manned.
There is an army vehicle next to the tower. Soldiers are removing food and water from it probably for the soldiers who are stationed there.
There are many Palestinian vehicles in the direction of Nablus as usual on Thursday afternoons.
14.40 Beit Furik checkpoint…we saw no soldiers
14.45 Awarta checkpoint. The yellow bar blocks the passage to Nablus.
15.35 Za'tara checkpoint.A small van is delayed by border police and sent on its way as we arrive.
16.15 Azzun Atma CP. Workers are coming home from the week's work on the settlements. They are checked behind an opaque plastic wall.
While we are there the line is not long..jpg)
A soldier accompanies two women and
three children who had been caught
going through an illegal passage.
Their IDs have been taken from them.
The commander says the IDs will be
returned to them after an hour
(one of the women says she was told two hours).
We were told that before we arrived some other Palestinians who had also been caught on the same road had been punished by being delayed.