Huwwara south, Beit Furik

Huwwara Monday PM, 7.2.05Observers: Maki S., Sarah K., Hagit P., Ruti K. (reporting)A cold, rainy day. Few going back and forth, no surprise roadblocks along the way; reasonable behavior by the soldiers.Tapuah JunctionAbout 20 vehicles going south, seem to go through quickly.We split up: Maki and Sarah went north, Hagit and I remained at the southern checkpoint. There were 3 young male detainees, who said they had been waiting only a little while. The soldiers (military police) reported that immediately after the inspection, they would be released and that it wouldn't take long. Before their release, there was a change in shifts, again military police. A new phenomenon: the female officer wore a tag with her name (April) in three languages, English, Hebrew and Arabic. After about a quarter of an hour, the detainees were released. The turnstiles were not functioning. People crossed in the rain. Some of the time the soldiers were really unemployed.A transit driver arrived (with Israeli plates), bringing two cancer patients from Nablus who were getting treatment at Hadassah, Ein Karem. After a discussion with A. (from the north), their passage was allowed over to the taxis in the north, so that the patients wouldn't have to walk on foot. Suddenly a lot of men with suitcases arrive, apparently from abroad, but the soldiers work efficiently and they go through quickly.We decided to take a look at Beit Furik. A lot of taxis and drivers. One of them complained about the police who kept giving them traffic reports "for hundreds of shekels, when there is no work and it is hard to make a living." At the checkpoint, the military police (two female soldiers); very cold and rainy. Also in Beit Furik, as in Huwwara, the soldiers were communicative and talked with us, including a group of paratroopers from Unit 101 on an educational tour at Beit Furik; they were very interested in MachsomWatch and pleasant.