'Anabta, 'Azzun 'Atma, Eliyahu Crossing, Habla, Shave Shomron

‘Azzun ‘Atma, Habla, Eliyahu Gate, Shavei Shomron, Shufa

Peace and quiet and very green at last.  The coffee kids are only on the Palestinian side of the checkpoint at ‘Azzun ‘Atma.  The fence is not yet ready and it seems it will take a lot longer to complete.  The bypass road is already connected to the old highway at one end and almost connected at the other end, but the lights are already in place along the whole length.

06:20 ‘Azzun ‘Atma.

 There are about 30 people at the checkpoint, which is a short line for this hour;  but fewer are getting through because of the expectation of rain.

Two coffee kids are seen, only on the Palestinian side of the checkpoint as they certainly are not allowed to cross over by the soldiers who are not at all happy to see us. One of them physically threatened me, really shoved me into the another soldier, chest to chest, after I told him that only the police had jurisdiction over us; I was standing on the sidewalk, actually outside of the checkpoint, but not behind the fence where he wanted me to go.  Then, in spite of all this, he then moved and stood in front of me so as to hide the checkpoint from my view.  His commander arrived and things calmed down.

The checkpoint operated quietly and even though the line sometimes lengthened, it also shortened at other times.

07:10 Habla

The gate was open, the teachers' bus to Arav Ramadin passed through.  They told us that, starting tomorrow, 6.1.15, the children will be on  vacation for two weeks.  But the chidrens' bus to Habla did not go through - maybe the vacation is slightly different in different places?

At about 08:00 the line grew, but everyone went through and at 08:10 the checkpoint closed.

Eliyahu checkpoint

There is no one waiting in the pedestrian line and only  a small number of vehicles are waiting for inspection.  At the entrance to ‘Azzun there was a military jeep;  the gates were open.

Shavei Shomron

The checkpoint was open.  The road from the junction of road 60 and road 57, in the direction of Nablus, almost a highway, is excellent.  Also at the entrance to Deir Sharaf there is a roundabout.  Certainly an improvement, thank to the U.S.

‘Anabta - checkpoint open.

09:15  Shufa checkpoint/Izbin Shufa is  open and 2 soldiers are on guard.  We note that there is not an open passage between the 2 villages.