'Anabta, Azzun, Jubara (Kafriat), Qalqiliya, Tue 26.2.08, Morning
No separation nor closures. The taxi drivers everywhere say "all is well today". Joy of the poor.
Qalqiliya
06:30-07:00 - Children on their way to school in Israel are waiting for their bus. The number of vehicles both going in and coming out is small, and they are hardly checked, but the soldiers manning the entrance side take it easy, and lines form. Their method is to pass one vehicle then rest. Eventually I approach them and ask politely to show consideration for the people, their time and the fact that this is not the only checkpoint the have to pass today. They claimed that this is their way to "prevent burnout". but they did start passing vehicles without delay, at least while we were there.
Azzun
This is our first sight of the new sand embankment and barbed-wire "curls" blocking the entrance to the village. Gone is the nice square and one more ugly construction is added to the concrete, boulders and barbed-wire jungle disfiguring the occupied territories.
A teacher from Qalqiliya in her long dress embarks upon her mountain-climbing feat on her way to work.
Anabta (back from Beit Iba)
09:00-09:15 - Unlike other times, no lines at all and the few vehicles pass without checking.
Jubara
09:25 - 10:00 - We didn't make it into the village nor to Ar-Ras. The unit manning the checkpoint changed, the key to the village-gate disappeared. The commander didn't get an answer from his command. We called the Humanitarian Hotline and then Tammi Cohen, who was going to take care of it for future shifts.Too late for us.