Habla, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Thu 11.7.13, Afternoon

translated by Shelly K.

Second day of Ramadan

13:40 – Habla Checkpoint– Relatively heavy traffic for this lunch hour through both sides of the checkpoint. Perhaps due to Ramadan. Opening hours of the gates are unchanged (three times daily)

14:00– Near Kfar Azun, we see a military vehicle climb the dirt road on the side towards the village. The main entrance to Azun is closed by the yellow iron roadblock. Two armed soldiers lean on one of the big boulders (which blocked the entrance a month ago). An army jeep with an Officer arrives. Asked why the gate is closed he replies “I don’t have to answer you about that…” I didn’t hear the continuation of the answer and maybe it was for the better. For three days this village has been punished. From the residents we learned that it is possible to exit via the other side of the village. At the Humanitarian Center we heard that of late rocks have been thrown from the village and therefore it is unknown when the closure will be rescinded.

On the road to Huwwara Checkpoint in the valley between the villages of Asira el Kabeliya and opposite Burin there is the smell of fires, started by the settlers from Yizhar. It is still felt in the air.

14:32 – Huwwara Checkpoint  - There are no soldiers at the checkpoint. At the “Trampiadas” on both sides, there are soldiers to assure the safety of the Bracha settlers.

14:50 – An army jeep is parked inside Kfar Huwwara (on the main road). An army vehicle is seen driving towards the village amidst a line of Palestinian vehicles. Today there is heavy traffic on the way to Nablus.

15:50 – North of Akraba there are two villages with the same name but different endings (one is called Hirbet Yinon Tahta and the other Hirbet Yinon Foka – below and above). Some of the residents of Hirbet Yinon Tahta left under threats of Itamar settlers: they take over and expand and dispatch dispersed teams on the northern, eastern and western hilltops surrounding the village. But the village itself is an oasis, enchanting.  Fortunately there are always volunteers from overseas.

16:30 – Za’tara Checkpoint – Police and military vehicles arestationed there. We saw Palestinians being detained outside of their vehicles. All along the road from the Za’atara Checkpoint to Hares Junction – the fence that totally blocked the entrance to the northern side has been removed (also the posts that supported it have been removed).

16:50 – Azzun Atma Checkpoint – There is no crowding. We saw detainees at the entrance to the checkpoint. We counted 4 visible openings in the fence surrounding the village.