Huwwara 24 August 2006 Watchers: Biria L., Tal S., Nava M. (reporting)General impression:(From reading the Huwwara reports of the last few days, we expected the worst. The reality surprised us. Is it possible that someone up there took notice of the MW reports and decided that, finally, the deterioration must stop?)New soldiers working politely and quietly staff all four of the roadblocks. We were unable to get information on limitations.8:00 a.m. The gates of Marda and Zeita are open.Za’atra – Tapuach8:10 a.m. From the west there is a queue of twelve cars, one checkpoint is open and during our short stay the queue was reduced to five vehicles.From the north there is a queue of twenty-five cars, three checkpoints are functioning and, according to evidence, the waiting time is half an hour. There are no detainees. A dog handler checks a bus thoroughly while its passengers are clustered together on the road.A number of soldiers stroll around the area with their weapons pointing to the ground (contrary to the threatening scenario we have got used to – weapons pointed at the heads of those waiting in the queue). The commander is very polite, he invites us to observe but limits the area in which we are allowed to stand and refuses to answer our routine questions. He asserts that according to new orders he does not have to give information of age limitations (apart from the laconic answer: the usual).Borin – Yitzhar8:15 a.m. Not staffed.Huwwara8:30 a.m. A huge yellow flag flutters in the wind (the pride of the unit?).Here too the answer was ‘the usual’ when we asked about limitations. The queue of pedestrians is as long as the shed and the waiting time is short. There are two checkpoints, one humanitarian through which the women go with no checks at all. The checks in the normal queue are thorough and include a body check and inspections of bags and sacks, but they take place quietly and politely.The efficient behaviour of those checking facilitates a slow and continuous flow of those crossing.There is a regular flow of cars in both directions (we did not see a single car refused permission to cross).Beit Furiq9:15 a.m. A Hammer jeep is parked in the car park area before the turning to the roadblock. Three soldiers are busy organising the cars into a queue to cross at the roadblock.At the roadblock itself very many pedestrians leave Beit Furiq with a superficial check of their I.D. cards only. For those entering the village there are two checkpoints staffed by two female soldiers who are serious and thorough. The inspection, carried out via the window of the checkpoint, includes showing socks, shirt, belt, etc., in a quiet and polite manner, insofar as this humiliation can be polite.Awarta9:35 a.m. The roadblock opened at 6:00 a.m. this morning.A request for help was received from Mustafa Mahmoud, who was driving through early this morning (7:30 a.m.) when he was informed that his wife had been taken ill. In his hurry to get to her, he overtook other cars in the queue. He was immediately stopped and interrogated, his I.D. card and travel permit were taken and his car keys confiscated. Later on his I.D. card and permit were returned to him but his car keys were kept by the commander, B.When we arrived (at 9:40 a.m.) we tried to mediate and persuade B., to return the keys. We reminded him that, according to orders, it is forbidden to confiscate car keys as punishment. At that moment B. took a bunch of keys out of his pocket and cried: “You want the keys? Take them!” He threw the keys at me and, at the same time, grabbed Mustafa’s I.D. card which was in my hand. Mustafa was upset and angry with us for our interference which just made his situation worse. For myself I felt bad at the loss of the document and humiliated at the way it was grabbed from me. After a few futile attempts to persuade B., to return the I.D. card we contacted the Centre. They took personal details, asked a few questions and Mustafa’s I.D. card was returned to him (10:30 a.m.).Huwwara10:35 a.m. The situation is as before: a reasonable queue, quiet inspections, no confrontations, no detainees but there is a depressing atmosphere of acceptance and humility.Za’atra-Tapuach on the way back11:00 a.m. There are about fifty cars waiting in the queue.