Azzun Atma, Mon. 22.10.12 morning
06:10 'Azzun 'Atma – Many people have already crossed, but there’s a long line of about 60 waiting to go through. The area has been repaved and the entry road to the checkpoint narrowed so that only one car at a time can go through. There’s no shelter – I don’t want to think about what it will be like when it rains like it did on Friday, but at least it was Friday evening so there probably weren’t any people crossing other than those returning to the part of 'Azzun 'Atma on the Israeli side of the fence.
Additional inspection stations with large windows have been erected but they’re not yet operating, nor is the revolving gate. Occasionally a soldier lets a bunch of about ten people through a side gate.
Three young people arrived on foot. Previously we’d seen them walking toward the checkpoint from the west side of the road. They have a discussion with the soldiers and after a delay they enter 'Azzun 'Atma. In response to our question, the soldiers said they’d been caught going through the fence and sent back.
Tedesa said that the Tamar gate had opened, but earlier, from 05:30 to 05:45.
06:55 Hani’s house in Elkana – Elkana’s security coordinator opens the gate, accompanied by soldiers. Relations between them are very friendly – the army cooperates with the settlers and even allows them to decide who’s allowed through the checkpoint. Two carts and a total of five people crossed.
The security coordinator told us about a new problem: olive harvesters who leave the fruit they’ve picked in the groves overnight, find that people from Kafr Qassem come and steal it. The soldiers try to prevent this and chase them. This gate will be opened until Wednesday.
They’re continuing to build the plaza at Etz Efraim in what looks from the Hani gate as the quarry.
07:25 – Habla. The school bus arrives (the soldiers say one already went through). The driver immediately approaches the inspection booth and emerges a minute later; now he opens the gate by himself and the bus continues as the Palestinians waiting at the crossing open the second gate for him. The soldiers close the gates
. Crossing goes pretty quickly today, relatively, including donkey and mule carts, a tractor and a car. 60 people crossed on foot in half an hour, a record for this crossing.
08:00 The line thinned out to about ten people but more keep coming.