Deir Sharaf, Mon 20.7.09, Morning

7:20  Shvut Ami

More signs of life on the hill than there were last week, but we didn’t see any people. 

Barrels checkpoint (Deir Sharaf)

Large yellow posters on the concrete barriers and on the large sign announcing that Israelis are forbidden to enter Nablus:  Have you seen unusual troop movements?  Do you have information about an imminent evacuation?  Call the outpost war room now, Tel 052 630 2222.

Later we heard on the radio that there was a mini-evacuation and an immediate violent response by settlers.

7:35  All cars leaving Nablus are stopped for a short interrogation, which causes a line to form (8 cars at the moment).  There’s a dog handler, but she isn’t currently checking cars.

7:46  A truck exiting is inspected, including its cargo, and a line forms again.  The inspection is very superficial, thus ineffective, and only to harass.  Nina calls the humanitarian office.

Now the dog handler also joins the inspections and a car is moved to the side.  The inspection is quick and five minutes later the car drives on. 

The soldiers talk with each other, and meanwhile no one goes through.  Even though everything moves more quickly, the indifference to time lost by the Palestinians continues.

8:00  We leave.