Beit Furik, Burin (Yitzhar), Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Wed 5.3.08, Morning

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Observers: 
Dalia W., Noga K., Nurit W-L (reporting)
Mar-5-2008
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Morning

Translation: Hanna K.

 

07:00 Zeita - the road is blocked.

07:10 Za'tara-Tapuah
There is no load. There is a reserve unit on the spot. Four lanes are active and the passage is relatively quick.

Yitzhar-Burin Junction - the CP is not manned.

07:30 Beit Furik
The pedestrian CP is almost entirely empty. Every few moments some isolated people arrive.
At the upper parking lot there are 7 cars waiting.There is only one active car lane (for entry and exit). The checking is rather slow. 3 soldiers are situated on the road, hands in pockets and their eyes directed at the entering vehicles. On the road there is a row of spikes. During long minutes (according to our measurement - 12 minutes)  a single truck, which stands in the direction of the exit from Nablus, is not allowed to approach. Finally they let it pass quickly.
Around 08:00 the flow of pedestrians increases.

08:15 Huwwara
The number of people passing at the pedestrians' CP is low at this hour. There are no passage limitations. There is only one work-station active as well as the "humanitarian lane".
The number of cars heading in both directions is low too. Here again the checking is slow. We measured 10 minutes for the checking of a taxi. Its passengers were removed back about 20 meters till the end of the checking. The checking machine is in action. T., the DCO officer, wanders around  the area.
08:25 A second checking post is opened at the pedestrians' lane. The girl-soldier at the western work-station addresses the passers rudely and exchanges words loudly and rudely with her colleague situated at the eastern work-station.
Two men are waiting near the CP. According to the CP commander, as well as the DCO representative, they are waiting for a regular police car which should transport them to a trial at Kfar Saba. This is the only way they can go there. Ten minutes later they are indeed driven away from the CP.
09:00 The number of passers increases continuously. The girl dog trainer arrives.
09:10
A car arrives, which according to its driver is new and has temporary number plates. He has to enter Nablus to organize the permanent number. After a discussion he is allowed to pass. Later there are a few incidents involving vehicles belonging to the medical corps and medical organizations which are not allowed to enter, because the car itself has no authorization. Only the cars of international organizations are allowed to pass. The others are waiting on the side, south of the CP, in the hope that the ruler should agree. It seems that there is some assembly in Nablus on health matters. Furthermore, 4 vehicles are caught on the Madison route, and they too are detained as a punishment. All in all 8 vehicles. "They are supposed to know where it is forbidden to pass" is the version of the detainers. But there is no signposting!

09:45 The car of the Red Crescent is allowed to pass, because of very delicate and urgent medical supplies.
In the meantime the CP becomes full of pedestrians.
In the course of the last hour of our stay at the CP we invested much effort to help in the case of a child who was severely burnt and is hospitalized in a hospital in Nablus. Because of his severe condition his family tried to transfer him to a hospital in Israel, but did not succeed. A taxi driver, a close associate of the family approached us, perhaps we could do something. We investigated at the Doctors for Human Rights and tries other connections. All these were already involved,  but in the special wards for burns there is no vacancy. In the end it transpired that an authorization was give to transfer him to a hospital in Amaan, Jordan, and the next day he was transferred there.
10:15 We left the place.
 At the Za'tara-Tapuah junction there was no pressure.
.