'Anata, Ar-Ras, Azzun, Jit, Jubara (Kafriat), Qalqiliya, Tue 4.12.07, Morning

Qalqiliya checkpoint - 06:15-06:40
Qalqiliya is partly encircled: only residents carrying an Israeli IDs and schoolchildren who study in Israel can go in and out. People with permits can enter the city only on foot, and have to leave their cars in the parking-lot outside.

Villages on road 55 -06:40-07:30:

Nabi Elias is open.
Izbat at-Tabib - Has been blocked by sand embankments and boulders for many months, according to the passers-by. They make their way by clambering over them. Many of them come from Azzun, drivers leave their cars parked on the side of the road.
Azzun
Reserve soldiers man the exit to Rd. 55. According to them there was some stone-throwing as well as "BakTavs" (military acronym for Molotov cocktails).According to some workers waiting outside the village there is no open exit for vehicles.
Kafr Laqif - Has been blocked for the last week or so by boulders and sand embankment. Here too the people say there is no open exit for vehicles. Ambulances have to stop at the obstruction, petrol for cars inside the village is brought in jerry cans.
Al Funduq - The village is waking up (it is 07:20), schoolchildren are waiting for their buses, shops are opening.
Jit junction is unmanned.
Anabta - 09:00-09:20
(on the way back from Beit Iba) - At Beit Iba taxi drivers complained about a long wait at Anabta (2 hours, they said). At this hour indeed there are long lines of vehicles, especially coming out of Tulkarm, but checking is random. We timed the passing of 30 vehicles: 10 minutes. A van with young men is detained for 25 minutes, the IDs checked by the computer. One of the passengers is told to take off his coat, which looks like an IDF garment. The thing is checked minutely and handed back.
Israeli drivers of tankers coming out of the city are usually permitted to bypass the waiting cars and go against direction, for safety reasons. The new reserve soldiers manning the checkpoint detain them - either to punish them or because they are sincerely unaware of the fact - the drivers disagree which is the correct answer.

Jubara & A-Ras - 09:30-10:15
Both at the big exit checkpoint from the West Bank and A-Ras checkpoint traffic is sparse.