Abu Dis, Container (Wadi Nar), Hizma, Thu 8.1.09, Morning

07:00 Wadi Nar

 

Lively traffic, flowing.  From time to time the line in the direction of Bethlehem lengthens as far as the bend in the road.  Sample checks of documents and cargo are performed.  Random delays, mostly short.

 

The road going east is blocked with a metal barrier embedded in a concrete block.  A narrow  opening of roughly  50 centimetres between two concrete blocks remains for pedestrian crossing.  Since residents of the homes east of the checkpoint are now prevented from using vehicles, how are preganant women or the handicapped supposed to cross?

 

Later, two young women lifted the barrier with a smile of triumph, but a soldier arrived immediately to close it again.

 

Towards 7:30 the checkpoint is almost empty.

 

At 7:40 the traffic jam from the Az-Zayyem checkpoint stretches as far as the entrance to Ma'aleh Adomim.
 

We drove in the direction of the Dead Sea.  There was no checkpoint after the turn north to the Bik'aa road

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08:10 Jericho checkpoint - south

Every vehicle leaving Jericho is checked: documents, interrogation, cargo.  Crossing is fast and the checkpoint works efficiently.

 

The DCO is open.  We passed through the first turnstile along with 2 Palestinians.  We reached the magnometer which is scrutinised from the other side of a reinforced glass partition.  They wondered what we were doing on "the Palestinian side", and whether we were not afraid.  Our passage was intercepted and we were compelled to leave.

On the way back we passed through Hizme.  There were long traffic jams from all directions.