Hawwara, Tuesday 7 June 2005 AMObservers: Rachel A., Ninet B., Aharona M., Dina A. (reporting)We encountered serious congestion on the road, due to security alerts warning of an intention to carry out a combined attack. Tapuach junction was blocked by convoys of cars in all directions, and only those travelling to Nablus or the surrounding areas was allowed to pass. There was no passage to Ramallah.We stopped and approached the Army screening position. The soldiers were not particularly polite, claiming that we were interrupting their work and making the convoy even slower. Nevertheless, we were able to help a group of teachers on its way to supervise pupils taking final matriculation exams in Ramallah. Only teachers, doctors and humanitarian cases were allowed through. Public servants were sent back home. The soldiers told us that the restrictions had started the previous evening, and that they did not know how long they would last.We tried, but failed to help two employees of the Palestinian Transport Ministry, and another woman. Ra’ad was nowhere to be found, and Ami from the Samaria DCO unit told us there was nothing that could be done. Even at the exit from Hawwara we counted 17 cars in line for screening.At the checkpoint itself, on the South side, we saw very many taxis. At the North side traffic out of Nablus was very sporadic. People must have caught wind of the fact that movement was severely restricted today. The soldiers say that they tell the people in the line about the restrictions, but those people often chose to try their luck anyway. While we were there we could hear the soldiers over loudspeakers, telling people about the ban on passing the checkpoint in the direction of Ramallah. People whove already arrived at the line ahead of the checkpoint, generally keep waiting. They know from experience that while things are blocked right now, they might be able to continue living in an hour’s time.We were struck by very harsh feelings about the unacceptable ease of obstructing peoples’ lives.While we were there, one person was detained, and released 10 minutes later. The vehicles entering and leaving Nablus generally passed without incident. Once in a while a driver was told to turn around, not being in possession of a permit to pass. Two people without permits to enter Nablus wanted to get to a garage there and were refused. A taxi driver – working on a service different to the one mentioned in his permit – was also refused passage.Checkpoint commander A. and DCO representative H. created an atmosphere of calm within the madness.At 10H00 we left in the direction of Beit Furiq. We saw only a few people in line and no vehicles at all. On the way back there was still a roadblock at the entrance to Hawwara village, and Tapuach junction was still full with tens of vehiceles. We stopped again and tried to help some pedestrians, but the soldiers’ instructions were harsh and clear, and they worked according to the regulations. This was probably due to the military activity at Kabatiya – an operation against the Islamic Jihad – based on what was later featured in the news.