'Anabta, 'Azzun, 'Azzun 'Atma, Habla, Huwwara, Te'enim Crossing

The purpose was to acquaint Dina with our activities in the central region.  We stopped at many locations for explanations.

10:40  Azzun Atma. 

Six Palestinian employees of a quarry owned by a European company wait for their ride; they work on the second shift.  The soldiers say the gate closes at 9 PM and asked us not to photograph them.

11:00  Hani gate.

The bus with the Machsom Watch tour arrived while we were explaining.  Everyone was happy to meet.  We continued to Oranit.  There are still large holes in the fence along the road, but construction of the wall has progressed.    A wall, not a fence, is being built here, even though most of it doesn’t adjoin the locality but only the agricultural lands belonging to residents of Azzun Atma and Siniriyya.  We saw from Oranit that the entrance in the wall to the road to Tamar gate, which was open on our last visit, had been closed.

11:40  Back to Highway 5, through the Shomron checkpoint – traffic flowing smoothly in both directions.  Continuing via Ariel, apparently the longest town on earth, to Highway 60, then north.  Just before Za’tara junction a military vehicle and soldiers pass us travelling in the opposite direction, toward Jerusalem.  At the junction we continue toward Huwwara; the positions aren’t manned and traffic flows quickly in all directions.

12:20  Huwwara checkpoint.

The large red sign warning against entering “Palestinian territory” has been moved and now stands before the parking lot.  Traffic flowed in both directions.  We parked in the lot.  While explaining about the site’s history we heard voices from the tower; soldiers arrived immediately and asked what we were doing.  They pointed to concrete blocks forming a small structure in the plaza where they said a bomb disposal unit had blown up eight explosive devices they’d discovered in the bag of a terrorist who tried to cross on foot (which is forbidden) and planned to attack them.  We continued to the Beit Furiq checkpoint where we saw no soldiers.  We went through Jit junction to Highway 55 and west through Al Funduq while describing the locality’s difficulties, then through Eliyahu gate without stopping and on to Habla.

13:45  Habla.  A few people coming from Habla, as well as trucks with saplings.  A horse and cart wait for the driver to return from inspection.  The last people returning to the village manage to go through.

14:07  The soldiers close the gate and leave.

Back along Highway 55.  We stop at the large parking lot at the Eliyahu checkpoint to admire the spectacular landscaping and discover more additions.  The civilian security guards arrive immediately, explaining it’s a closed military area and taking pictures of the vegetation and the statues of bugs is prohibited for security reasons, like photographing the Dimona reactor.

We left two parcels for Z. in Azzun, then drove via Jayyous, Kafr Sur and Beit Lid to Highway 60   and Anabta checkpoint (where the red sign has also been moved forward a few dozen meters).  Then west past Shufa and out through the Te’anim checkpoint.