Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Tue 8.4.08, Morning
Translation: Charles K.
Za'tara/Tapuach junction:
Bus passengers who were made to disembark are waiting for the security check. About 35 vehicles are waiting on the road from Huwwara.
8:10 Beit Furik
About 7 vehicles are waiting in the parking lot.
A bus arrives at the checkpoint; high school girls get off. They're coming from Beit Da'jan on a trip to Nablus. Another bus is waiting for them on the other side of the checkpoint.
The driver vehemently complains because he's not permitted to take the bus through the checkpoint. Nadim tells us that yesterday two buses were allowed through. It's a large bus company. It isn't clear why it isn't allowed through.
Here's a silly question - why should an IDF checkpoint stop a bus full of schoolgirls traveling from Beit Da'jan to Nablus? What's going on? I wish someone from the IDF would explain to me, sometime, what sense that makes. What's the important security consideration involved in delaying this trip of schoolgirls from Beit Da'jan to Nablus (not to Israel...). Come on, guys.
The dozens of schoolgirls waiting at the checkpoint pass through in less than a quarter of an hour. The soldiers work efficiently and try not to hold them up.
8:40 Huwwara
The checkpoint is calm. There aren't many people waiting on line. There are three checkpoint lanes and a location for humanitarian cases. The market is operating as usual.
10:00 Za'tara/Tapuach checkpoint: No vehicles.