Falamiya

6:50 - The gate opened up. Thirteen tractors towing trailers and one truck arrived. People got off the vehicles and crossed through the gate, and the soldiers checked the IDs and the permits. They then went on to the booth  where they register by means of a mobile phone - that's how their return through the same gate is monitored. The documents of family and friends sitting in the trailers are handed in by the drivers. The vehicles are checked again at the entrance.

7:10 - All passed through, the gate is closed off and we proceeded towards the seasonal gate at Ras Tira east, No.1263, scheduled to open at 8:35. We took a right turn in the direction of Alfe Menasseh, along the 'maarekhet road', reaching  Gate 1253. A 'Hammer' vehicle arrived, carrying the soldiers we had seen earlier at Flamia south. No Palestinians arrived. The soldiers told us that on the previous day there were indeed people there intending to go to work in their fields.

The military vehicle approached us and a girl-soldier told us that we were forbidden on the "maarekhet''road and that we had been spotted from the headquarters. We returned the same way, noticing some more gates along the road: Ras Tira north 1327, and exit gate 1360. We noted two mule driven carts exiting and a military jeep shutting a gate. Along the road we encountered two more jeeps surprised to see us - they had never heard about Mahsomwatch. Told us we needed to obtain a permit to take the 'maarekhet' road.