'Awarta, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), יום א' 17.5.09, בוקר
Translation: Suzanne O.
Za'atra
7:25 a.m.
There is no traffic from the west, from the north there are 6 vehicles.
Huwwara
7:45 a.m.
On our arrival the car park is almost empty, later on it fills up.
Most of the time there is a flow of pedestrians into Nablus - not particularly heavy.
We stand at the roadblock, near the checkpoints, no one sends us away, and the Military Policewomen even smile at us.
At the turnstiles: 2 checkpoints function in addition to the humanitarian lane.
There are about 15 people at the turnstiles, later on it rises to 25 and by the time we leave there are 5.
It seems to us that there is someone in the cell, therefore we go to the vehicle area and try to approach the cell on its western side from there. The roadblock commander, a 2nd lieutenant paratrooper, comes over to us and says, through his teeth, you can stand there if you want but I will call the police who will immediately come and arrest you. When we ask if we are, or are not, allowed to stand there he replies that we know very well that we are not allowed to be in the area at all. When he realises that his words do not particularly impress us, he and other soldiers with him start to photograph us.
Obviously he is not prepared to answer our questions as to whether there is a detainee in the cell. A friendly Military Police sergeant tells us that there is no detainee.
There are 5 vehicles at the exit from Nablus. A minibus is inspected. Its driver alights. The rest of the passengers remain in the vehicle. The officer and a few other soldiers gather round the driver, we are unable to hear their conversation. Within 5 minutes the bus continues on its way.
9:00 a.m.
A young man comes over to us in the car park and claims that lately a Border Police jeep has driven several times on the Palestinian road between Huwwara and Awarta; the soldiers stopped Palestinian vehicles, ordered girls to alight, unzipped their trousers and urinated in front of the girls. Other young men confirmed what he said.
We agreed that if he should be present at a similar incident he will note down the registration number of the vehicle and report it to us immediately. We also requested that the afternoon shift go to the spot.
Awarta
10:00 a.m. approx.
We drove to Awarta via Huwwara village (so that we could pass by the place the young man told us that the incidents with the Border Police took place). There are 5 vehicles
Za'atra
10:30 a.m. approx.
There are 5 vehicles from the north; there is no traffic from the west.