Huwwara 10 April 2007 Watchers: Ninette B., and Dina A. (reporting)Translation: Suzanne O.An ordinary, but extraordinary, day. The problem for vehicles at Beit Furiq continues, the queues are long and so is the waiting time, only one car at a time crosses.At Huwwara practically no one leaves Nablus but the atmosphere is very edgy.Tapuach/Zaatra Junction7:45 a.m.There are five cars at the roadblock on Road 5, two buses wait, their passengers beside them. From the direction of Nablus there are about twenty cars in the queue, the crossing flows.A Hammer jeep is parked at the entrance to Marda village.Borin roadblock in the direction of Huwwara: the roadblock is staffed and there are two cars in the queue.Beit Furiq roadblock8:00 a.m.The usual problem of a line of cars queuing up and at this time of morning the traffic is heavy.Pedestrians cross straight away, there is no queue and two soldiers check them.About twenty cars wait to cross; the drivers report that they wait for hours. There are two soldiers at the checkpoint, one of them signals for cars at the exit from Nablus and the second signals cars entering Nablus, the signal is a flick of the hand. Inspection time of each car is approximately five minutes, but from time to time there is a pause and almost no cars leave Nablus, the soldier is then unemployed but he does not join the other one to inspect cars entering Nablus, thus progress is slow.There is something new, so that the residents don’t relax orders change, now, even after the driver is signalled to come with a wave of the hand towards the roadblock, he is stopped at a certain distance from the soldier, has to go to him, show his I.D. card which is checked and only then can he return to his car and approach the roadblock, and then the car is checked.We chatted to the waiting drivers and they are, of course, very embittered.I called the Humanitarian Centre and they promised to try to get reinforcements for the inspections but with reservations as many soldiers are still on holiday.Huwwara roadblock8:35 a.m.Pedestrians: throughout the shift there are few people leaving Nablus but many residents stream into the town.Here too there are changes: the x-ray machine for cars is behind the checkpoint; there are two lanes as well as a humanitarian lane which functions all the time. When the soldiers have inspected those crossing at the checkpoint, they stop by the x-ray machine and put the packages they are carrying, including women’s handbags, through. After this inspection they return to the checkpoint to get their I.D. cards, some have carrier bags, some have heavy crates, they all go back and forth. A soldier stands by the x-ray machine; he ensures, with a hand movement or a shout, that everyone puts his or her packages through the machine.The soldiers do not answer us, apart from the roadblock commander who is prepared to confirm that those aged between 15 – 30 are not permitted to leave Nablus.As far a we can see there are not many cars at the exit from Nablus and a large number of soldiers check them, there is also a dog present.Passengers or porters take the baggage to the x-ray machine located this time, as we have said, at the other side.9:00 a.m.For a change the car from St. John’s church carrying eye specialists to Nablus crosses with no problems.9:15 a.m.A school outing: five buses arrive, three are allowed through after they promise that they will not leave again and two are sent back, it is not clear what the problem was because we were unable to speak to any of the teachers.A soldier helps a very old man to cross with his luggage and helps him through the x-ray machine.The elderly and disabled are allowed to enter Nablus via the road and not the turnstiles.9:30 a.m.This is the busiest time; about fifty people wait in the queue. An IDF patrol arrives and the pressure dissipates.A small number of cars are at the entrance to Nablus and as soon as a car arrives it is checked. A car with a disabled person arrives, he belongs to an organisation called Disabled without Frontiers, it does exist. His entry permit went out of date yesterday, which was a holiday, so he could not renew it. He is sent to the DCO.10:00 a.m.A young man comes over to us and asks if we can help him; he is married to an Israeli while he himself is a resident of Nablus, therefore, they cannot live together. All of his applications for reunification of families have been turned down. When we ask where they met, he tells us here at Huwwara roadblock. After consultation it turns out that we are unable to help him.10:30 a.m.There is a bus carrying monks at the entrance to Nablus, the vehicle does not have an entrance permit and the monks alight and cross on foot.We left and on the way back there were only three cars waiting at Za’atra/Tapuach Junction from the direction of Nablus and no cars queuing on Road 5.