Deir Ballut, Eliyahu Crossing, Habla, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Wed 9.6.10, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
06:45 Habla:
The gate opened at the appointed time. The first 5 people to be inspected are being held up in the booth. Yael asks the commander what’s happening and he says there are problems with the computer.
Yael calls the humanitarian office and suggests that the people entering be checked manually.
07:02 The first ones finally exit. Meanwhile the line lengthens.
People exit at the rate of five every five minutes.
07:15 A truck with seedlings that has been waiting since we arrived, goes through.
People waiting on line sound irritable. Yael calls the humanitarian office again.
A father and 13 year old son cross to work at the plant nursery.
In answer to our questions he says, “We’re not in school; there’s no money.”
A woman is stopped at the checkpoint because her permit is said to be forged. She swears she got it at the crossing. The commander promises us that they’ll make an exception and bring someone from the DCO to issue a crossing permit.
07:35 We leave. A Palestinian who read what’s written in Arabic on our ID tags applauds.
07:44 Eliyahu crossing: There are no more people at checkpoint 109.
08:00 We enter the village of Immatin to give documents to A.
We turn onto Route 60.
08:40 Huwwara checkpoint:
Traffic flows, a doghandler and her dog walk back and forth, a few trucks are turned back.
Merchandise isn’t allowed through.
10:00 ZA'tara/Tapuach junction: No delays.
Access to Marda from Route 505 is open. Access to Zeita is open.
10:10 After turning onto Route 446 we enter the village of Bruqin. An amiable woman standing in front of a second-hand clothing store answers Yael’s questions. She’d like to obtain used clothing for the shop.
10:40 The road to Deir Ballut is blocked.
10:50 We turn north from Route 446 toward Mas-ha, but there’s no way to cross into Israel.
We return to Deir Ballut, turn onto Route 5 (the cross-Samarian highway) and return to Tel Aviv via the Shomron crossing.