Morning

There were four of us this morning so it was decided that two would watch at E-Ram, and two would go to QalandyaSouthern QalandyaNot one vehicle waiting to go north. Cab drivers tell us that yesterday there was a checkpoint at seven different times at Jaba. A very pleasant male volunteer, who does not want to give his name, lets people come constantly up to him going north. At the northern end, the line of cars is long, at least an hour's wait to pass. There is a constant stream of people walking in the hills towards Tora Bora. Returning from north to south Qalandya there are two men and two women volunteers. It appears that only people with orange and green ID's may pass with a permit. But we are told that men over 50 and women over 40 years old may pass without a permit. After a few minutes the soldier asks a local person if he understands Hebrew. When he answers in the affirmative, he is asked to translate a paper of this person waiting. (None of the four on duty speaks or reads Arabic.) The soldier is satisfied and the man is allowed to pass. The soldier tells us that a structure should be built for protection against the winter weather. The two of us then walked to Tora Bora where we found a constant stream of people coming down from the hills to the road, and transits and taxis stopping at that point to let people off.