Ar-Ras, Azzun, Container (Wadi Nar), Jit, Jubara (Kafriat), Qalqiliya, Wed 21.5.08, Afternoon
Inbal called us at 10:30 to tell us about the incident at Jubara (you can read about it in the morning shift report).
14:25 – We make a detour round Qalqiliya checkpoint. The traffic moves slowly but the cars pass …
14:35 – The gate to Azzun is still blocked.
14:40 – Jit junction is free.
Anabta
16:20 – The checkpoint operates at a slow pace. People who enter Tulkarm are not stopped. Those who leave the city are checked every now and then. The soldiers look depressed and preoccupied. Talking to them briefly, we enquire about the well-being of the injured soldier.
16:40 – We pass the Fig Passage and ask the soldiers to open the gate. It turns out that Hamdan, Nadim's son, looks suspicious to them. We call the advanced command post etc. Finally, we pass, coming directly to the Schoolchildren's Gate, where 3 border soldiers stand. They allow us to pass to Ar-Ras. At Ar-Ras there are some cars that have been stopped. We don't know the reason but very soon we discover another jeep standing behind the post and some soldiers, busy talking to the detained people. One of the soldiers thinks we are worthy of a special blessing and calls us "whores" and "go to Gaza". He probably hasn't heard that Arafat is dead. Maybe it is another attempt at recruiting collaborators. The rest of the cars pass without interruption, but when we get back to the Schoolchildren's Gate, we are stopped. It turns out, the soldiers have been given an instruction to stop us. A few minutes later, after giving a quick look at the back of the car, they let us go home.