Afternoon

Very cold and raining. The checkpoint will close at 9 PM. Permanent firm looking sheds are built North and South (maybe even all across the checkpoint), for Palestinians and soldiers alike.First we go to Jab'a, A. our friend who lives in Jab'a is going to show us the supposed route that the army says they may take to leave the village. We saw an old road, last used in the time of the Jordanians before '67, in the midst of the village's garbage disposal area, but more importantly not suited for driving, that has no sane possible way to the road. The path they used to have, goes underneath the road that stretches from Qalandya towards Jab'a, opens to all the relevant places for the residents of Jab'a, and is really the most suitable for them. The occupier's logic.On the way back three soldiers made a sign for us to stop. A. halts. Everyone outside, they say with a pointed gun. They retreated though when they saw us. Show us your IDs, they said meekly.and they let us pass. A. says a new innovation is that soldiers stop taxis at gun point, open the door, and check whether there is sand in the car, which means they drove passengers who passed through the quarry, which meant: 'guilty'..Qalandya South 5 PM.Only one soldier is taking care of the cars, all the rest seem busy building, and though cars seem to be moving quite smoothly, there is a very long line, beyond what the eye can grasp, and it takes 2 hours approximately to wait.Qalandya North, 5.10 PM.Unyielding soldiers, obtuse, no one without a permit is allowed through, no flexibility. 6 detained men standing. They have been caught trying to pass through the quarry. Have been there for around two hours. We assumed their IDs were taken, and that they are waiting, of course in vain. The soldiers verify our assumption, everything is under control, their IDs are being checked. We called the hotline and waited. After our insistent questioning, the soldiers admit that they don't have the young men's IDs at all (they never told the men though, just let them stand hoping) and that they were free to go. Three would sleep over at friends in E-Ram and push their luck the following day, the other three from Nablus would return home. Around 40 retained men in the enclave in the middle of the checkpoint, from Nablus, Qalqilia, Salfit, etc.... all caught trying to cross through the quarry, have been there for around 4 hours already. It is freezing, and raining too, IDs taken, supposedly being checked, so we call the hotline and such. An hour later, 5 hours after having been retained, we see the IDs being finally checked, 45 minutes later they are given their IDs back and are free to go.A woman from Beit Hanina, works in Ramalla and has no permit. It was difficult to get one because of Ramadan. She had a letter from her employees in Ramalla with her up to date photograph, verifying she works for them as a cleaning woman, and with a request to allow her to pass, a formal letter on the one hand in terms of its representation but emotional in content. The soldiers wouldn't let her through.A lawyer who lives in E-Ram, and works in Ramalla went to Beit El to get a permit, was sent to the E-Ram commander, who offered (conditioned) a permit for 'favors'.A man from Hebron, who doesn't have a permit, still over and over again with a never ceasing desperate energy tried to convince the soldiers to let him through, his wife and children were waiting for him in a car on the South side, all fruitless, the soldiers growing more aggressive to him. Qalandya South, 7 PM. Hardly any cars, or pedestrians. Soldiers stopping Transits rudely and probing.