Habla Checkpoint (1393)

Habla CP 1393

The routine of occupation. There are passage problems but they were solved this time with the help of our soldiers. The gates are supposed to be open 13:15-14:15.

13:10 – we arrived, took our place in the shed, next to a person who sat waiting there and greeted us cordially.

13:13 – the soldiers arrived. Organization. The Palestinians gather at both sides of the CP gates, waiting.

13:20 – they begin opening the gates. The first group of five people passing from the direction of the seam zone to Habla is sent to the checking booth, those leaving Habla pass and are being checked at the post next to the exit gate. Later they are registered in the computer by the soldiers in the shed near the gate, and thus the Palestinians are checked twice: both at the gate of Habla as well as at the checking post by the exit to the seam zone – where the computer is. The checking is thorough and slow.

A few dozens of people, tractors, carts, lorries, cars pass successively.

A tractor with a cart which arrives from the direction of Habla is being detained. The son of the tractor owner also sits on the tractor, in the carts there are plants. It is not clear why there is this delay and Nina phones the DCO in an attempt to help. They do indeed pass, perhaps due to the telephone call, but he forgets to collect his Papers from the soldiers. They call out to him in order to give them back to him, but he doesn’t hear.

A big minibus with schoolgirls passes in the direction of the seam zone. A few minutes later he returns with one passenger.

13:53 – The soldiers give to a jeep driver the Papers which the tractor driver forgot, asking him to find him and give them to him. The tractor driver returns a quarter of an hour later with his papers and returns with his son home.

Two cars are detained on the Habla side. A white private car and a yellow double cabin tender with sacks of food mixture for chicken and sheep, intended for the Beduins living in the seam zone. At the shed a man tells us that in the white car there are about 15 chicken, that’s to say both cars have goods but did not prepare passage permits. The Palestinians claim that they had coordinated with the Palestinian DCO in the morning, but the information was not transmitted to the Israelis. Nina again calls the DCO.  A girl soldiers says that they refuse to let them pass as they had not first coordinated with the Palestinian DCO so that they are not permitted to pass. From the seam zone our acquaintance A. arrives and says all is in order. And indeed, at the last moment, the permit is given and both cars pass. In a conversation with W. from the DCO he tells Nina that he had given them the passage permit beyond the letter of the law because of the approaching sacrifice feast, Id el Adha, (on the coming Sunday).

14:15 The gates are being closed.  There isn’t anybody left.