Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), Thu 26.6.08, Afternoon
Natanya translating.
14.20 The gate at Marda is open. Zeita is closed and there are cement blocks.
Za'tara CP
17 cars in either direction and two manned checking areas.
Yitzhar is not manned.
14.32 Huwwara CP
Under the shed are 3 checking areas and there are many students going home for the weekend. As they come out from being checked they dress themselves again because they have taken off anything which may make the x-ray device go on. They said that at the western checking post the military policewoman, N., screams at those sorting themselves out "You have another minute to finish and clear off."
Very hot today and people are not allowed to stand in the shed but are chased off to the parking lot.
The humanitarian line is also very busy.
There is an x-ray car but no dogtrainer. No pressure of cars entering Nablus. Avital points out to me that the soldiers are standing with their rifles pointed directly at the people. The soldiers are new. (It is also obvious in their attitude towards us as they do not know what to do with us. They will soon learn).
We heard a soldier shouting at a young man from Burin that he was causing a commotion and put him into the isolation. We did not see anyone from the DCO and phoned Z., who sent T., to us.
IN the meantime we phoned the centre as well and S., answered that she could not tell us why he had been detained but we knew why as we had heard the soldier and she said he could be detained for 3 hours.
We said that this was punishment and she said she could not affirm this. All the prisoner's friends were waiting for him.
At 14.54 with T.'s intervention the man was freed.
With the help of the DCO representative a procession of cars including a bus which was escorting a bridegroom from Haris to get through the checkpoint so as to get to a village near Nablus for the henna celebration. The brother of the groom left his ID as a guaranteed and they were allowed to pass for a limited time. When we phoned later the bridegroom's brother said that they were already on their way home. He said that at Huwwara everyone had had to get out of the cars including the grandmothers and the small children. Tomorrow they would try to get a permit to get to the wedding and we hope they will be successful.
16.14 Beit Furik.
At the checking area we are glad to meet a group of volunteers from overseas who are coming back from a buying spree in Beit Furik where they teach English. They live in Nablus. At this hour people from Beti Furik are coming back from Nablus and one cannot see the end of the line of cars exiting. A volunteer said there were 16 cars waiting to be checked. As usual only one checking post for both directions. There is no pressure in the shed. We phoned the centre about the pressure in the car line. At the café there is now a fruit stall.
We counted 7 cars waiting to be checked at the exit of Beit Furik.
17.03 Back at Huwwara
A detained man from Yabad is very angry. He said that he had told his wife in Arabic
Burin/Yitzhar CPs' - Empty.
At Za'tara 3 checking posts and 30 cars in both directions.