'Azzun 'Atma, Habla
05:48 Azzun Atma
There are approximately 70 people waiting to pass the checkpoint. There are two stations open as well as some of the men pass by the electronic machines, putting their ID on one and then their finger, to read their finger print, and they pass.
There is some commotion in the queue and a solider pulls a Palestinian out of the line and takes his ID, sits him down not far from us, we are not sure what happened. He isn’t cuffed, maybe because we are there? Of course at this time everything stops and no one passes, after a few minutes it resumes. Hanna calls the Humanitarian Ctr. and spoke with L.
We spoke to an employer from kibutz Palmachim, who came to pick up his workers, he tells us that some come from Jenin, and start their day as early as 03:00.
06:08there is another commotion in the queue 2 men start to climb the fence, we hear a crash of glass; the officer takes both men to the side, cuffs the one that attacked and the other man took his ID. Hanna calls the Humanitarian ctr. and speaks to S. The ID was returned.
An officer comes to where we are and moves the Palestinians who stand next to us to the other side of the road, in the usual abrupt manner of the soldiers.
A Police car pulls up from the road and a man gets out and is escorted back through the gate.
An army jeep comes out from Azzun.
06:45Checking with one of the Palestinians, we find the queue takes 25 minutes, there’s still a lot of men waiting, approximately 30, we leave for Habla.
07:09 Habla
As we arrive we see 5 men coming out of the checking post.
We see one returns to Habla after coming out of the checking posat , we are told by some men that he didn’t want to give his ID.
There’s quite a few people waiting, but the queue moves, allowing, as usual, 5 people at a time. Towards the closing, they allow even 6 – 7 at one time.
No school bus, we are told it is holiday for a month.
A security soldier comes to our side, stands there ‘playing’ with his phone the entire time.
08:00 Gate closes