'Awarta, 'Azzun 'Atma, Beit Furik, Burin (Yitzhar), Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Thu 13.6.13, Afternoon
Translator: Charles K.
Traces of a large new fire on the hillside next to Madama village.
Heavy traffic of military vehicles.
14:30 Three military vehicles at the Eliyahu crossing.
No police at the entrance to the crossing, which is unusual.
14:32 Two jeeps at Nabi Elias.
14:37 A military jeep passes us next to Azzun, going in the opposite direction.
14:40 A police vehicle past Al Funduq.
14:47 Highway 60 – a military command-car a few kilometers before Madama village.
14:48 Another military jeep,
and immediately afterwards
a strong odor of something burning.
14:52 We thought there was a problem with the car but didn’t see any signs of trouble, nor with the vehicle in front of us, and then we saw the remains of a large fire on the side of the hill near Madama village.
Two weeks ago (the report from 30.5.13) we photographed settlers and soldiers next to the fire not far from here, near the village of Asira al-Qibliya which is on the same hillside; the settlement of Yizhar dominates the entire hill. Today we apparently arrived too late and only the remains were visible of a fire as large as the earlier one. But who’s counting?
14:51 A military jeep on the road up to the Yizhar settlement.
14:52 The junction of Highway 60 and the Huwwara-Burin road: A military jeep driving quickly toward the Huwwara checkpoint.
14:53 Huwwara checkpoint – The jeep we’d seen reached the checkpoint; a soldier came toward it from the observation tower. No soldiers in the inspection booths. There are soldiers at the hitchhiking stations to and from the Beracha settlement.
Awarta checkpoint – Closed as usual. New signs prohibiting entry to Israelis. But local residents can’t go through!
Beit Furik checkpoint – not manned. From here you can see how the Alon Moreh settlement has begun spreading over a third hill (eastward) and laying new infrastructure.
We drove to the Beit Dajan checkpoint,
stopping to photograph a lively agricultural
scene, reaping wheat in the fields between
Beit Furiq and Beit Dajan. A military
vehicle appeared immediately.
15:25 A military jeep at the junction of Highway 60 and the road between Huwwara and Burin.
15:43 A military jeep parked in the parking lot across the road from the entrance to Beita.
15:50 Za’tara checkpoint – two soldiers seated beneath the guard tower.
16:00 A command-car on Highway 5, driving in the direction of the Shomron gate.
16:13 Azzun Atma checkpoint – two parked military vehicles. A military patrol is there.
The entrance to the checkpoint isn’t congested.