'Awarta, Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Wed 6.1.10, Morning
Translation: Suzanne O.
8:20 a.m.
On Road 5 between the Barkan industrial area and the Ariel industrial area a police jeep slows the traffic down for some kind of inspection.
The barrier at Zeita is still there.
Tapuach Junction
08:45
Traffic flows - counted 28 cars heading south.
Huwwara
8:35 a.m.
When we got there cars were crossing in both directions with no inspection. There was no queue.
The DCO came to say hello - perhaps more to Nadim than to us.
Within a few minutes a car is directed to the side - the driver gets out, opens the boot, a dog handler and dog inspect. The car is released within 5 minutes.
Immediately afterwards a Palestinian Authority car is held up, the passengers alight, they are stood in a row with their backs to the car. The procedure with the dog is repeated but this time it takes 20 minutes!
During the time we were there, there was almost always a car being inspected. Just before we left a bus was directed to the side and all the passengers taken off and stood in a row.
Awarta
9:30 a.m.
There are almost no lorries.
We wanted to see what was happening at the Nablus DCO. We parked in the car park where there were coffee vendors and taxi drivers waiting for the people they had brought. Over 15 minutes only 4 people came and they immediately went inside.
Beit Furiq
9:45 a.m.
There are no soldiers. Cars can cross freely - it is almost completely empty.