Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Mon 3.12.07, Afternoon
Natanya translating.
13.20 - Opposite the entrance to Ariel we see that a gravel area has been laid out and there are 3 soldiers and an army vehicle. We will follow the developments.
The entrance to Marda is open but Zeita is still blocked and people and cars crowd on both sides.
Za'tra (Tapuach) .
15 cars and one which is detained is freed after 3 minutes. Three checking lines.
A bus on its way to Ramallah is detained and the IDs of all are taken. The driver says that they had been delayed for three hours at Burin. The commander says that there was a suspicious object and therefore the road had been blocked. 2 minutes later IDs are returned and the commander wishes them a pleasant trip.
He was very hostile to us and would not answer our question about any alerts.
From the east we saw over 50 cars. Cars with yellow plates ride through the middle of the road. Also to the east was a traffic jam which opened up after a few minutes.
13,55 At the entrance of the village of Beita we saw a demonstration which included the Palestinian flag and sheets on which were written in bold lettering. They were waiting for those who had been freed from the Israeli prisons.
Burin/Yitzhar - was unmanned.
At Awarta -
We saw trucks only leaving Nablus. A., the olive seller, says that there had just been back to back trucks. He said that the commander is pleasant and does not detain people.
14.15 Beit Furik.
Two trucks and one van waiting to enter. When we got there two soldiers were running towards the parking lot as something had been seen. Accompanied by a soldier we went to the white line. Few people there and no one has complaints about the soldiers. The IDs of entering cars are checked and doors and the baggage compartment opened. The incident ended with nothing particular happening.
On our way out we saw a truck with yellow plates and an army vehicle stopping it on the side of the road. Everything was carefully checked. Two soldiers sign to us to stop at the side of the road. They saw us leaving Beit Furik. We asked why the driver had been stopped and they said he had done something forbidden. Another said politely "He is suspicious." The driver who looked like an Arab was sent on his way a few minutes later.
14.50 Huwwara -
There are a great number of people at the fence on the Nablus side. When they come closer they are sent back and the commander says that it only needs one stone to be thrown or one song of "Kill the Jew" and everyone will be in danger.
The soldiers have been reinforced because the freed prisoners are returning.
A young man comes to us and asks us to help a boy of 10 who is alone and very frightened. He had tried to slip through. We went to speak to the commander but the boy was already freed and on his way home.
In the ordinary line some say they have waited three hours and others say less than an hour.
A man comes who says that his friend from Marda forgot her ID and now she cannot leave the village. The commander said he had received no ID yesterday but checked with the DCO and the ID was there. He was polite to the man and gave him details...the phone number and name of the person he should speak to.
15.20 One of the soldiers starts to sing and it seems that the soldiers are having a game. They throw out a word and she finds a song which begins with this word.
At the same time she keeps passing the people through.
16.00 Lieutenant colonel Doron and the commander of the military police unit arrives together with two captains of the rank of sergeant and comes up to us and shakes hands warmly with us.
He says that when we do not make a drama when the checkpoint is handled well and we answer that it was truly handled well and it is up to the commander, but still horrible.
16.40 At the entrance to Zeita was a bonfire to keep people warm.