'Anin, Reihan, Shaked, Mon 11.2.08, Morning

05:55 - 09:30

05:55 Aanin Checkpoint

Soldiers are already in place and are opening the gates.

06:05 – the first one passes. After five minutes, a tractor passes. A few score waiting, among them women and some tractors. All are close to the middle gate. Transit is slow.

06:15 – another Hummer arrives. The soldiers debate among themselves and the Hummer leaves. One of the passers by reports thatr the confiscated passes have been returned.

06:30 – two soldiers go to close the gate on the Aanin side, and to organize the line.

06:40 – again the additional Hummer arrives. A soldier on guard slowly pulls on a "Hermonit" coverall and smokes a cigarette. There is an innovation in the method of listing: apart from the number allotted to permit holders and written on their ID cards, the soldiers are listing numbers according to the order of passing in the morning. Upon their return, the people will state their number and perhaps the afternoon transit will be faster.

06:55 – the fifteenth of this morning’s crowd now passes.

07:00 – Anna remains at the checkpoint and I drive to Shaked.

07:10 Shaked-Tura Checkpoint

The checkpoint opened at 07:00. People pass through the hut from the West Bank to the Seam Zone, adjusting their belts as they exit. Few cars pass in either direction.

07:15 – six very young schoolgirls and five boys of the same age arrive. A soldier peers into their satchels. The boys try to pass by him, but they are called back for the satchel inspection.

07:20 – a taxi arrives with women students and two mothers with toddlers. The students on their way to the Wst Bank are exempt from the check in the hut. The mothers enter. At Shaked, priority goes to students.

07:35 – a man arrives riding on a donkey, followed by a flock of sheep. His documents are checked while he stays on the donkey, and he leads the flock along the fence, apparently to the lone house.

07:45 – no schoolchildren or adults to the West Bank at this hour. Five men waiting to cross to the Seam Zone. I go back to Aanin.

07:55 Aanin Checkpoint

Still crossing. At 08:10 number 55 passes. At 08:15 a couple with a toddler. Where does the chilkd find the patience to wait like this? Six more people and a tractor are waiting. We leave together with number 62.

08:25 Reihan-Bartaa Checkpoint

In the upper ("Israeli") parking lot someone tells us that today is alright. Three women, one with covered face and gloves, arrive. In less than ten minutes they exit on the Palestinian side of the terminal.

08:35 – in the lower (Palestinian) parking lot nine loaded tenders wait to be checked. Ten cars waiting in front of the vehicle checkpoint on their way to the Seam Zone.

Walid of the coffee and halva, "supervisor of the checkpoint," tells us that thius morning they only opened at 05:50. Shows us the orderly list of people waiting, with 80 names. The seamstresses are not included in the list.

We are told about checkpoints in the areas of Tulkarm and Jenin. A man coming from Aatil relates that there is a checkpoint by Jerishia, between Aatil and Tulkarm.

A group of youngsters from Nablus crosses towards the West Bank. Their comrade doesn’t pass because he lost his ID card. We don’t know whether or how his problem was resolved.

09:30 – we leave. At this hour six tenders are waiting to be inspected, and seven cars are at the vehicle checkpoint waiting to enter the Seam Zone.

In the afternoon, I. tells us on the phone that there is a checkpoint manned by soldiers and Border Police near Arabe, and about blocks on the dirt paths in the area. He gave up on a trip to Nablus because any direction would take two hours.