Hamra (Beqaot), Tayasir, Tue 27.3.12, Afternoon

12:10 – 14:45

Translator: Dvora K.

12:10 Bezeq  CP – We went through.

Everything is turning yellow but there is still some green and some flowers.

Near the entrance to the settlement of Giv'at Sil'it (opposite the settlement Mahula) soldiers are in place. It seems that they are waiting for some gathering. There are empty tents, tables, many vehicles. The place was full of soldiers and equipment when we were on our way back. Continuing up the hill north of the road, there is a rather large group of tanks and with them two gigantic pieces of equipment fenced off with thick bars. The soldiers near the tanks 

or on them, are preparing coffee or drinking it. That is the way we saw them on our way to the CPs and that is the way we saw them on our way back.

Above the Alon Road – The settlement of Maskiyot is surrounded by a new fence and it looks as if the construction is done.

12:45 Hamrah CP

Battle engineering. First sergeant Gil'ad IS YELLING!!! at 3 pedestrians who did not know that they had to walk on the (new) path that goes around the CP. With a derogatory gesture  and the peak of his voice: "What do you want, to get a bullet?" and to us, he says: "Of course I threaten a person who enters my CP …"

"This is a sterile area, a closed military zone, you are violating a private military zone …." In the end, by association, he reports to us: "They sent a few Arabs as a provocation." We pointed out that he was mistaken.

Afterwards, three young school children (probably first grade) with backpacks came along. With his rifle drawn, he also sent them belligerently to the new pedestrian path. He sent one of the people waiting for a taxi to the 'waiting shed', a dirty, dusty place, open to the wind from every direction, but far from the frightened soldiers in the CP. Most of the vehicles that went through were Transits and minibuses with workers.

13:30 We left.

On the sides of the road going up to Tyasir, we could hear a lot of shooting clearly. We could not see the soldiers that were shooting.

13:50 Tyasir CP

There are Kfir banners. On the fence a sign threatens: WELCOME. OPERATION 97. TOMORROW WAR.

The soldiers on the post (we went up to it and none told us to go away) proudly confirmed that they are ready for war even here and now, so of course they are ready for 'tomorrow' as the sign says. "And after all," they ask us, "who are we? Ah – The women of Watch?!"

Here too Transits with workers go past to the west and only a few are going back home to the east.

Bezeq CP

We were asked how we are – and we went through.