'Awarta, Beit Furik, Huwwara
After a break of two months (for good personal reasons) I came back to the Machsomim.
There are news, some of them good.
08:00 Oranit: Gate 1447/1448. The soldiers just arrived, they are from Golani. Many MPs including 2 high rank officers. They are not pleased with our presence and are moving us from the area of the gate. The Palestinians start crossing and await their transportation to their work places.
A jeep of the borders police arrives. Apparently the MP called them. They are trying to persuade us to leave the place. After a quiet discussion they leave and we stayed on until the last worker crossed and left for work.
08:30 Shomron Gate: The traffic flows.
08:50 Zaatra/Tapuach: The posts are unmanned and the traffic flows. Some soldiers are guarding the settlers at the hitchhike post.
At the entrance to Hawara, across the entrance to Beita, a big roundabout is under construction which holds up the traffic. A long line of cars – Jewish and Palestinian – stretches up to the center of the village; We reported to the police and the problem got solved in a short time.
In Hawara the two lane road with a central traffic island is ready but the pavements along the road are not done yet.
Itzhar/Burin: an army vehicle stands in a bay west of the main road.
In the junction across from the regiment two soldiers are guarding a hitchhiker. At the turn to the regiment a big sign prohibiting the entrance to the road (see photo). We asked the soldiers and they answered that the sign doesn't refer to us (the sign is not in Hebrew). It appears that after the killing of the Hankin couple, the Madison road was closed to all Palestinians. Same sign to the road to Bracha.
By the way, in all the years the Madison road was closed to Palestinians, there were no signs. When we used to ask the DCO why drivers who do drive along the road are being punished when there is no sign prohibiting driving there, the answer was: they (the Palestinians) already know they are not allowed to drive on this road.
Awarta: We were surprised to see that the yellow arm is open. Cars are coming from Nablus to Awarta and back. It seems that after closing the road between the roundabout and Awarta, they didn't have a choice and this road seems to them less dangerous.
Soldiers are at the junction and they check cars coming from Nablus. We asked them since when is the road open for vehicles and their answer (as expected) was: it was always open… By the way, it is closed at night.
There is no army activity on Madison road. Same goes for Itamar although there are hitchhikers there.
09:25 Beit Furik: The tower post is unmanned and there are no soldiers on the road.
09:40 Machsom Hawara: The machsom is manned but not in the previous posts. Cars are being checked randomly.
09:45 Itzhar/Burin: The soldiers check the cars coming from Itzhar. In Hawara armed soldiers are patrolling. The traffic jam has been cleared and traffic flows.
10:00 Zaatra/Tapuach: Unmanned.
Shomron gate: traffic flows