Beit Furik, Hamra (Beqaot), Huwwara, Ma'ale Efrayim, Za'tara (Tapuah), Sat 14.7.12, Morning
Natanya translating.
10.50 Huwwara checkpoint.
On the road from Azzun we saw 3 army jeeps and two police jeeps. This is more than what we usually see. The checkpoint is empty of army or police and the traffic is as usual.
11.00 Beit Furik checkpoint.
The checkpoint was empty. From Huwwara to here there again was a significant army presence.
11,20 Za’tara/Tapuach.
The soldier at the concrete block over the road watches the traffic but does not stop it.
At the side the police delay a truck with goods and there is also a soldier next to them. The driver shows his papers and waits for an answer. We do not wait to see that he is freed.
11.40 Ma’aleh Ephraim checkpoint
There is a soldier in the tower and none on the road.
12.00 Hamra/Beqaot checkpoint.
From a distance we saw there were no cars from the west (area A). When we arrived we saw no cars from the east.
It is very hot.
3 soldiers at the post above the road. We waited 5 minutes and no cars arrived. This is usually not the case here.
We went on our way.
12.30 Tayasir checkpoint.
From the west (Area A, Tubas) 2 taxis and a private car wait for the passengers to be checked. From the east no cars.
We do not see soldiers at the checkpoint. The bars are open and there are no soldiers. Has something changed in the order here?
12.37 One taxi and one private car come through with their passengers.
12.40 Another taxi arrives from the west and also one from the east. They wait and do not go through even though the gates
are open. And then a soldier comes out of the room to the post on the road and waves. The one soldier first lets the cars from the east go through and then from the west. He checks the papers in both directions.
12.43 The second taxi fills up with passengers and goes off. It took the people 13 minutes to go through the checkpoint.
Another soldier comes along and one checks those entering and one those exiting. As opposed to Hamra there is much traffic here but the passage is not swift.
Many taxis in both directions. Times: At least 10 minutes for each car with the passengers who are coming from the West Bank. And also inside the West Bank papers are checked without the passengers alighting from the car and therefore it goes faster.
13.30 Hamra/Beqaot.
4 soldiers and one car from the east and one from the west passed through as we arrived.
2 trucks and a taxi go through immediately after they are waved on. We waited a while and there was not much traffic but the passage was swift.
Ma’aleh Ephraim was empty.
14.20 Salfit checkpoint. The entrance to Ariel.
One soldier sits at the entrance to Ariel. When we arrived he checked one Palestinian car then went back to his post and opened the electric gate. And so on to each car, taxi or truck.
The coming and going is a waste of time. This is a different procedure from what we saw two weeks ago.