Azzun, Jubara (Kafriat), Qalqiliya, Thu 28.2.08, Afternoon

We were told by the soldiers that there was not a separation policy today in the Tul Karm area.
 Azzun
14:14 The entrance to Azzun from route 55 is still blocked by a high wall of dirt and boulders. The more southern entrance (the old route 55) is open to traffic. We took this more southern route through Azzun and then on to the Palestinian route to Ar Ras.
 
We stopped at Kufr Sur to give someone official papers that are to be completed. The papers must list the people from his village who need permission from the DCO to cross over the separation fence in order to get to their land. We were told by Hagar that even though they may have land both near the Salet gate(839) and the Children's Gate(735), they can get permission for only one. There has also been the complaint that when, and if, they receive permission to cross the gate to their land, their land is far from the gate and the road to their land is impossible to travel .
 
We were in a hurry to get to Anabta because we got a call from Mickey that it was crowded. We therefore did not stop at Ar Ras(14:57). There were 20 vehicles on line from Tul Karem as we passed by. There were none on line to Tul Karem.
There were 10 Palestinian workers coming from Israel to return to the territories waiting at the Children's Gate(735) . The soldiers there told us we could not enter the village. We had to wait until he got permission from a higher officer.
 
After we got permission to pass through the village, the gate at the other side (at the entrance to the main Jubara CP) was locked.  Here too we had to wait until the soldiers called a higher office to get permission.  The soldiers have been on duty for only a week.

 Jubara
15:01 At the Jubara CP there were 2 police cars checking vehicles entering the territories. There were 10 vehicles waiting on line to leave the territories.(Israeli Arabs were on line. Settlers and Jewish Israelis are allowed to go through on a separate line. )

 Anabta
15:16 - 15:40 Anabta  There were 20 vehicles on line in each direction but the lines were moving along. The 20th on line to Tul Karem took 7 minutes. The checks in both direction were random. At one point a person who was stopped coming from Tul Karem was taken behind the police jeep and questioned. Secret Service check??
 
There was a taxi driver who was being detained. His ID and keys were taken away. We called the Army Humanitarian Hot line to complain. His ID and keys were returned not long after (15:39). We don't know if it was cause and effect. The man was being held because when he was on the line to Tul Karem, two ambulances were being checked and he tried to cut around. When the soldiers told him to go to the back of the line, he refused. The soldiers took the keys away because they were suspicious of him and thought he might run them over.  The driver tells us he cut around because he was only dropping the passengers off. He was NOT going through the CP to Tul Karem. Later that day we saw him at Beit Iba picking up other passengers. His run is evidentally from Beit Iba to the Anabta CP and back again.
 
18:49 -- 19: 10 Qalqiliya
There are 15 vehicles on line to Qalqilyia. There is no line forming from Qalqilyia although traffic is leaving the village. We see a number of vehicles of Israeli licence plates ordered to turn around. They are not allowed entrance into Qalqilyia. We asked a few of the drivers where they were from.  Even though some had children or relatives or even lived in Qalqilyia themselves, if they are not on the soldier's list of Israeli license plates that can enter, they were refused entrance. They can walk in by foot if they want.