'Anabta, Ar-Ras, Azzun, Jit, Jubara (Kafriat), Wed 12.12.07, Morning

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Observers: 
Netta A. Inbal R. (reporting) Natanya translating.
Dec-12-2007
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Morning

The road between Al Funduq and and Haja has again been blocked.
The damage done by  the heavy vehicles of the army which carried out the blocking of Al Funduq  has been hidden.
The settlers who were removed from the illegal settlement of "Shvut Ami"  have invaded the opposite hill and cut down olive trees.

7.00 Jubara and A-Ras. 
There is not much traffic. The checkpoints are manned by polite reservists who give the Palestinians their IDs and say "thank you" . But they are not practiced and do not know the area or the procedures and therefore there are sometimes unnecessary delays. A bus of children waited for 10 minutes at the entrance to Jubara.

Through the communication device from the brigade, orders have been given that Machsomwatch cannot go through to Beit Lid.  As there are also reservists who will be changed in two weeks time we decided that there was no point in appealing this decision just for the principle.

7.30 Ababta. Quiet. No lines.  (as is usual at this time).

9.20 Jit. 
No soldiers. About 3 kilometres from the crossroads we stopped to see what has happening with the new settlement of "Shvut Ami". We were scared to approach the settlers and preferred to go to their neighbours to see what was happening.  The Palestinians say that the soldiers chased away the settlers (there was an army vehicle at the entrance) . The settlers then went to the opposite hill and entered private land, tore out olive saplings and raised a sort of permanent opposition there (a tent with signs around it) . We phone the owner of the land and understood that he was in contact with "Yesh Din" . From the hill  we saw an armoured tractor of the army going to the south-west and followed it into Al Funduq.

9.40 Al Funduq
A  new checkpoint was born today on the road between Al Funduq and Haja about 200 metres north of the area that was blocked two weeks ago. We saw the tractor at work and within 20 minutes hills of stones and dirt and rubbish rose up at the place where previously the main artery of traffic which connected Tulkarm and Jenin in the area of Qalqiliya through Beit Lid- Kfar Kadum –Haja-Al Funduq. The cars went back along the way they had come and pedestrians began to gather.  "What are they doing?" someone asked. "They will not stop until they have pushed us back 1000 years to the horse and cart.  The despair is obvious on the faces of the shop owners next to the road who will now lose their customers.

Two weeks ago when the road was also blocked, Jihad Udi, a worker of the municipality brought the army tractors to our attention in the critical areas  where the fork of the tractor had pushed away the ground for the municipal pipeline.He says that they heard him and has done on purpose. They had also burst a  water pipe  and the water rose to the sky. Also olive trees were broken. We saw the heavy tracks of the tractor in the small olive grove. We saw branches which had been broken off 3 trees.  We were taken on a reconnaissance trip and saw the broken pipe and the temporary plastic connection which had been laid down by the municipality. We also saw the damage the settlers had done. Jihad Udi is prepared to bear witness to all this. His phone number is 0522221586.

Is it possible that this checkpoint was raised because the someone in the army saw the damage that had been done the previous time  which had destroyed the way of life of the area? We tried to find out but when we asked the sergeant he refused to answer us.

10.15 Azun.
The area is blocked at 3 different points.  But it seems as if in the west toward Azvat Rasbib is open.