Awarta, Beit Furik, Burin (Yitzhar), Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Thu 15.5.08, Afternoon

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Observers: 
Dafna B., Yif'at D., Yehudit L. (reporting)
May-15-2008
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Afternoon

Translator:  Charles K.

12:57  Marda - The southwest gate is open!  The northern gate - open.

               Zeita - The entrance is closed.

13:03  Za'tara/Tapuach checkpoint -
We stop next to a minibus coming from the west that has already been detained for 15 minutes.  He's allowed to continue without his passenger: she was born in Kuwait, married a Palestinian, her daughter is studying at the university in Nablus.  She hasn't left her village for 10 years because her passport had expired.  A few days ago she received a temporary permit, until she gets an ID card as part of a quota approved for a number of foreign residents who've been living here for many years with no documents.  Despite her temporary permit, she wasn't allowed to pass through.  We informed K. at the office center.

13:22  Eight vehicles on line from the west, one lane open, 30 vehicles waiting from the north, three lanes are open.  Strict examination of all IDs against the short list, the inside of the vehicle and the luggage compartment.

13:27  All the vehicles are let through without being checked.

14:05  The vehicles are being checked again - we count 33 cars coming from the north (from Nablus/Huwwara).

14:15  No one is on duty at the Burin/Yizhar checkpoints.

14:27  Huwwara checkpoint -
The confinement area is empty.  Three lanes open for males, who remove their belts and shoes that have metal in them.  They present IDs to be checked as well as any items they're carrying.  There isn't any x-ray machine on site so the checking takes longer.  The covered area is full of people waiting, most of them students going home for the weekend.  There's a separate, relatively faster line for women, children and older men off to one side.  The checkpoint commander, P., T. from the DCO.  According to the representatives of the ecumenical church (who are located on the other side of the checkpoint), eleven vehicles are on line coming from Nablus.  At the vehicle entry point to Nablus there's a line only occasionally, and then very briefly.

14:45  The woman from Za'tara who had been detained tells Daphna that she's been allowed to continue.  Later we hear (from the police) about someone else who's been detained, also because he has a temporary permit until he receives the longed-for ID card. 

15:25  Beit Furik CP-
Little traffic.  We enter and move toward the place we usually stood before the "white line" was introduced.  The checkpoint commander closes the checkpointHis soldiers put spiked barriers in both vehicle lanes.  When we return to the white line he opens the checkpoint.

Representatives of the ecumenical church report that two young men were confined at Huwwara because they tried to bypass the checkpoint.

15:45 -  Another detainee - he went through the line off to one side and helped a woman, but (according to the checkpoint commander) tried to use this in order to go through the "express" lane.

16:15  Awarta - no line.

16:24  Huwwara checkpoint (on our return from Beit Furik). 
M., the representative of the ecumenical church, reports that detaineesinfo-icon asked for water, were given some foul liquid, started to drink and spat it out.  She asked the DCO representative for permission to bring water by herself, received permission, bought a bottle of water and brought it to them.

17:35  Za'tara -
40 vehicles waiting from the north, two lanes open.  We asked U. at the center, to open another lane.  He said he'd look into it.

Three vehicles coming from the west are waiting to be checked.

17:42  Zeita - closed; Marda gate is open.

17:42  Dafna calls one of the detainees; all three were released (at 17:33)

17:50  On the right, an army tent, soldiers inside.

17:55  Shomron gate - 
A  detainee.  Caught in Israel without an entry permit.  Detained since 10:00 at the police station and brought here 30 minutes ago.  He'll get his ID card at the Azzun Atama checkpoint.  He rides there with us, but not before a patrol car arrives with four more detainees who are ordered to get to the Azzun Atama checkpoint on foot in order to retrieve their ID cards.

Cf. the report on Azzun Atma from 15.5.08, written by Dafna B.