Habla Checkpoint (1393)

06:55  We arrived early and saw the area before the gate, opposite the container, had been marked off,  redder earth had been piled there, the area is surrounded by fenceposts, ready for fencing, and in the middle of the area a new greenhouse had been erected, still in wrappers.  Some people already wait at the Habla gate.

07:06  The soldiers arrived but remained in their vehicle.  Meanwhile two bicycle riders dressed in racing gear rode by on the security road.  After about twenty minutes we saw them passing in the other direction; no one said anything to them.  It’s become a training track – there are no cars, so there’s no danger from vehicles, but how did they obtain a permit?  We’re not allowed on that road.

07:20  The soldiers finally emerge from the vehicle and move to open the gates, which are supposed to open at 07:10.  Nina comments to them during her morning greeting, that they should remember those waiting are on their way to work – so if the soldiers arrive on time they should at least open the gate on time.

Crossing goes quickly.  And now the bus bringing the teachers from Qalqiliya to the school in ‘Arab Ramadin (in the seam zone) also goes through.

07:30  The main wave of those waiting has crossed.  Many cars and people on bicycles also went through at the same time.  One of the cars is ordered to return to Habla, apparently a problem with its documents.  We weren’t able to find out what the problem was.

08:10 They begin to close the gates.

We walk over to O., the owner of the plant nursery beside the road, to see the maps of the planned bypass road.  He explains it will take over a considerable area of the nurseries, but he doesn’t have maps that accurately present the plan.  We’d seen a map showing the road would be widened to six lanes from the area of the nurseries to Eliyahu checkpoint.  He promises to obtain such maps for our next visit.  Meanwhile they’ve begun legal action against the new road and construction has been halted.