Dir Balut, rd 446, Huwwara, Beit Furik, Beita, Za’atara CP, thursday 25.5.06 PMObservers: Aliza M. Amitai H. (guest) Hagar L. reporting.Natanya translating. 14.00-19.00Limitations of movement and passage. Men between 16-30 years are not allowed southwards. Limiations of passage at Hawarra for the residents of Jenin & tulkarm are not clear to us but they do not come to the cp. Evidently because their entrance from the northern checkpoints of Nablus and the western are forbidden. They cannot go east to Beit furik or Deit Degan.The exit and entrance of cars from Nablus at the checkpoint of Hawarra is allowed with a permit and on continuation that the limitations of age are observed.The exit from Bidiya to the southern direction (raod 5) is blocked and they have to go to the south through road 446 and to pass the checkpoint at Dir Balut or Azun-Jit- Crossroads of Yizhar and the corssroads of Za’atara.The northern checkpoint of Za’atara and Dir Balut …the soldiers refuse information.14.05 Dir-Balut on road 446. For 30 minutes there were no cars at the checkpoint from the north even though Thursday afternoons there was usually much traffic. From the south are two checkpoints. The police stop all cars, check and give out fines. If a car number is not sufficiently clear 200 shekel, a child without a seat belt 100 shekel. Three policemen have been donated by the police force of Israel for this purpose. The Palestinians say that the police only stop them and it seems that there is truth in what they say. Israeli cars with children without seat belts are not stopped. The tone of the police is rude, a tone that no policeman would dare to use in the green line. I am warned by one not to interfere with his work. A police jeep stands at a part of the road which is worn away and very dangerous and only after we say something do they phone about this problem. After the car has been checked by the police it is checked by the soldiers.14.35-15.45 We decide to check if there are checkpoints between Dir Balut and Bidya on road 5. The road is in a terrible condition but from there to Bidya through Messha the road is good and new. There were no rolling checkpoints or mounds of earth and when we got to Bidya we were told that the exit in the direction of road 5 ( which passes next to Kiryat Netafim in the industrial area of Barkan) has been blocked by the army and therefore we cannot use the short road but have to go through Azun. The road from Bidya to Azun , road 446 is also new and in good condition. There were no checkpoints on the way. At the exit from Azun stands a Hammer which is not stopping cars either entering or leaving. We pass crossroads of Jit , Harika, on the road to Hawarra.15.55 Crossroads of Yizhar, 20 cars from Nablus or Jit and not blockage of those coming from the south.16.00 Hawarra CP. No detainees. About 120 people at the checkpoint. Two checking posts and a humanitarian line. A team of 11 people of the engineering corps who are busy fixing electric rays and that checkpoint is filled incessantly with the noise. There is water for the workers at the hut. Hardly any cars. Cars without permits are not allowed into Nablus. The checkpoint is pretty empty seeing it is Thursday and probably because men between 16-30 are forbidden. A taxi which left Nablus to be fixed is refused permission to reenter and the soldier sends him to the back to back checkpoint at Awarta so as to summons a towtruck to take it back to Nablus. This is plain and simply abuse by the army. The trip from Awarta to Hawarra to the back by back checkpoint means passing two checkpoints which are 400 metrea apart, that is a trip to the centre of Hawarra, descent to a bad road which passes through Awarta and goes on to the DCO Nablus and afterwards crosses the apartheid road which goes to Eitemar, about 10 kilometres.The time it takes for a pedestrian is 47 minutes.A mother and son from El Azariyah next to Jerualem are returning from a visit to relations. Their ids are those of Gaza. The commander is willing to let the mother pass but not the son of 19. The DCO know the mother and say that they will inform the brigade that they should be able to pass. It still takes half an hour and when the commander hands over the ids it is with unpleasant remarks “It is a pity you are a Jewess.” The other is the daughter of a Jewess who is married to a man from Gaza. The administration as we know is not prepared to change the ids of Gazans and therefore they have difficulties.. we connect the mother to her cousin in Israel ( the families cross the lines and keep in touch) and he asks us how we can help her to change her id. We were worried that they would be stopped agin at the Za’atara crossing but when we were on our way back to Tel Aviv were happy not to find them there.17.15 Checkpoint of Beit Furik. 7 cars exiting Nablus and very few pedestrians. The checkpoint is open for 14 hours from 05.00 to 19.00 so the soldiers say. Private cars can enter and leave Nablus. Taxis are not allowed in. In the parking lot is a Hammer which leaves when we arrive.18.00 Back to back cp at Awarta. The gate is closed but the last trucks are still passing. Open from 6.00-18.00, 12 hours.18.10 The checkpoint of Yizhar.22 cars north and west which have just passed checkpoints.18.30 Beita village. The dirt mound which closed the exit and entrance has been removed. The market is in progress today. The people say that the vandalism of the army continues on the fence which is between the road and Marda. Where there was an opening is now a gate, a Hummer with some soldiers are there but we need not wait to see if they were preventing anyone from leaving.