'Awarta, 'Azzun, 'Azzun 'Atma, Beit Furik, Eliyahu Crossing, Habla, Huwwara, Shomron Crossing, Za'tara (Tapuah), Thu 11.8.11, Afternoon
Translator: Hanna K.
A hot summer day. The Rammadan feast days.
13:45 Habla, agricultural gate #1393– According to the CP commander the opening hours are: 07:00-09:00, 13:00-14:00 and 17:45-19:00.
In the course of the short time we were there, two young men on bicycles entered the CP and were inspected in the rooms.
We were told that during the Ramadan month the traffic at noon at the CP is less than usual.
13:56 Eliyahu Crossing – We didn't see the police vehicle which is usually parked at the entrance.
14:00 A military jeep passes in front of the entrance to Azzun. On the other side of the entrance to Azzun a military jeep again passes in front of us. A military command car passes opposite us, in front of the house which the settlers used to invade (not far from Jit)
Looking in the direction of the Yitzhar settlement we observe red roofs of houses that look new.
14:30 Huwwara CP – a soldier with a drawn rifle watches on the watch tower opposite the hitchhikers station (for those leaving the Beraha settlement) there is another soldier at the hitchhikers station at the entrance to the settlement. At the CP itself we saw no soldiers. Three vehicles with Israeli number plates park at the CP parking lot .
14:35 Awarta CP – A yellow iron arm shuts, as usual, the entrance to Nablus from the direction of Awarta.
14:40 Beit Furik CP – we saw no soldiers on the tower.
15:10 On the way from Awarta to Huwwara, near the village of Odela there is a flying checkpoint – "routine security check" – according to the border policemen who stop part of the vehicles entering Awarta. From a stopped vehicle the ID cards of the passengers are taken for inspection. When we arrived we saw some Palestinians sitting outside the vehicle, waiting for their papers to be returned. They were released while we were there. A vehicle whose passengers had their papers taken for inspection was waiting on the side.
15:20 – A military command carcomes towards us between Huwwara and Za'tara/Tapuach
15:25 Za'tara/Tapuach CP –there are soldiers at the CP. A soldier also watches opposite the hitchhiker's station. Two shielded police vehicles park on the road in the direction of the Bak'a. A queue of vehicles coming from Huwwara forms, but they don't have to wait a long time.
15:30 A police vehicle parks near Zeita-Jamma'in.
15:32 Kif'l Haris CP – The exterior lighting at the CP is on. One sees a soldier watching in the tower. Palestinian cars stop at the entrance to the CP.
15:45 Samaria Crossing – A soldiers asks where we come from, where we live, asks to see an I.D from our driver, opens the door of the car and checks what is inside.
15:53 – Azzun Atma CP – Labourers return from their day's work at the settlements, are being checked at the CP, while we were there no queue was formed. A Police vehicle arrives. We are told that the northern CP is active from time to time (not regularly). Yesterday for instance, there were soldiers there and check were made in the afternoon. A boy who lives on the southern side of the CP (behind the CP) says that when one returns home at night from the village it takes the soldiers much time (half an hour) until they bother to open the barrier.