'Awarta, Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Sun 28.9.08, Morning
Translation: Hanna K.
There isn't much traffic owing to the holiday.
05:40 5-6 soldiers at the CP. They allow us to pass over to the Palestinian side. There are about 10 people at the turnstiles. There is no car traffic in both directions. 2 Palestinians whom we met on our way back from the CP told us that the CP for pedestrians which should have been opened at 04:30 began functioning at 05:15 only and they waited at the CP for half an hour.
06:30 Za'tara: At both CPs there are no waiting vehicles.
06:45 Beit Furik: deserted, no people. One car arrives when we leave the CP.
06:50 Awarta: There is one truck being unloaded (back to back).
07:00 Huwwara
The parking lot is half empty. There are about 10 people at the CP. Everything is quiet.
All this is explained by the fact that this is a holiday.
07:10 We hear a soldier shouting at a Palestinian. We see that he aims his weapon at him. When he came out we ask him wwhat has happened and he mumbles: nothing. We got the impression that he feared another complication if the soldier should see him talking to us.
A loudmouthed girl soldier. A screeching magnometer. A X-Ray to which people from time to time bring their goods to be checked by.
A stream of people coming from Nablus.
07:35 The queue swells. A new arrangement: just one queue on the other side of the turnstiles, and when people arrive there they are split into three groups: to the two turnstiles and to the humanitarian queue.
It has to be pointed out that most of the people leaving Nablus pass through the humanitarian queue, and quickly.
There are no pedestrians to Nablus. From time to time a car heading for the town emerges.
From Nablus too cars arrive from time to time and are being checked meticulously.
09:00 (approx.:) As mentioned most of those waiting to leave Nablus stand on the other side of the turnstiles. There is rain, luckily just a dribble.
09:50 We leave the CP.