Habla - the gate was open for 20 minutes only

13:35  Habla 

There’s been a serious problem at Habla for a long time.  The gate opens for only 20 minutes.

We arrived at 13:35.  The soldiers hadn’t shown up yet, and when the finally appeared they stand around talking and ignoring the people yelling and climbing on the gate.  They opened the gate and began letting people through at 13:55.  They closed the gate when five vehicles still waited on line.  They ignored the drivers’ cries, entered their vehicle and left.  When we tried to speak with them, they refused to talk, called to our driver and asked him who are these women, where are they from.  The driver said he didn’t know.  We spoke with the people there.  They said for a long time now the gate is open only for 15-20 minutes, and they’re forced to wait until 16:15 for the gate to open again.

A military jeep parked beside the well behind the shed.  Soldiers walked around.

We continued.  Soldiers had established a checkpoint at the entrance to ‘Izbet Tabib and were conducting inspections.

‘Azzun – the gate is open, a jeep parked by the roadside.

14:30  On the Yizhar-Huwwara road, about 300 meters from Havvat Gil’ad toward Yizhar, a new concrete-block emplacement has been erected on a low rise beside the road, manned by two soldiers.

15:00  Huwwara.  A traffic jam from the checkpoint to the Huwwara-Yizhar junction because of random inspections at the checkpoint.

Beit Furik – no problems.

16:30  Za’tara.  Three Palestinian vehicles had been stopped by the roadside.  Soldiers had made the passengers get out and conducted inspections.