Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Thu 11.10.07, Morning
Translation: Rachel B.
An ordinary day except for the feeling of the holiday approaching (Eid ul-Fitr - the end of Ramadan)) and an increased presence of the army and police throughout the area.
6:25 AM
About 300 yards past the Shomron gate there is checkpoint set up by a combat unit of the Military Police. Tayasir, our driver, thinks that something has happened. About 500 yards past the checkpoint there is another police car.
6:30 AM
On the road to Ariel there is more traffic than the usual (perhaps this is because we have arrived about 10 minutes later than our usual time).
6:35 AM Ariel Junction
Heavy military and police presence - two military Jeeps, soldiers and policemen - more than the usual.
6:40 AM
Marda and Zeita {Checkpoints}are open.
6:42 AM Tapu'ach - Zaatara
There are 7 cars at the Tapu'ach Junction arriving from Ariel and heading towards Ramallah. In the parking lot there is a bus, emptied of its passengers who are standing by and waiting.
6:50 AM Yitzhar - Burin {Checkpoint} is open.
7:00 AM Huwwara
The checkpoint commander is polite and puts no restrictions on us. The District Coordination Office represantative is not present and the traffic is very light. The parking lot is half empty. The holding pen is empty.
7:20 AM
The District Coordination Office represantative arrives.
7:30 AM
A Palestinian car does not stop at the white line and enters the checkpoint very fast. The soldier stops the car, tells the driver to back up to the white line and reprimands him. But he still checks his papers and lets him through with out any kind of punishment.
7:40 AM Beit Fureik
The place is almost deserted. Very few cars pass through and there is no unnecessary harassment.
7:55 AM
A man is detained at the checkpoint . He has been standing and waiting for 10 minutes already. The checkpoint commander won't explain to us why the man had been detained.
At 7:56 AM the man is allowed to go through.
8:10 AM Huwwara
Three quarters of the parking lot is full. As opposed to the general calm and low volume of traffic{observed throughout the morning}, there is a lot of movement of military vehicles which is unusual (we counted 4 army Jeeps that came down from the direction of Shomron)
8:25 AM Burin-Yitzhar Checkpoint is unmanned.
8:30 AM Zaatara - Tapu'ach
There are 6 cars heading towards Huwwara from Ramallah. There are 15 cars coming from Ariel heading towards Ramallah and 5 Israeli cars waiting in their own special line.
8:35 AM Marda and Zeita {checkpoints} are open.