Dir Sharaf

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Apr-30-2003
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Dir Sharaf (Beit Iba) checkpoint is functionally parallel to Huwwara on the other side of Nablus. It is the only entrance for lorries, so there is a long line of them waiting to be checked. The checkpoint is in both directions. There is a side road which ambulances and private cars may use to get to the same checkpoint. There is a high fence along the pedestrian path on both sides of the checkpoint, with a fortified position in the middle and a small two way hut for the soldiers. They also had a fortifed position on top+side of a house left to the path, which seemed to be inhabited in its other wing. No shade for people waiting in the queue. El'ad, the officer in charge of the area (also of Huwarra checkpoint) said the policy was no passage for men between 14-40 unless with physician's letter, or an urgent health case. Ambulances, as well as lorries and wagons carrying medical equipment are checked quickly; men of all ages - inhabitants of Sebastia, Dir Sharaf and An-Nakoura, and men outside the prohibited age group who are teachers, physicians ( with licenses) can go in and out without special permit. Women can go with a very quick check only. Transportation: those who come from Nablus can use a Palestinian bus line which with an IDF permit, renewable bi-monthly, to commutes between this checkpoint and the one close to Tulkarm. Most of its course is not through the"settlers' road" . No Palestinian cabs are allowed on this side of the checkpoint. Those who pass towards Nablus use Palestinian cabs from the other side of the checkpoint. The cab drivers said that they have on an ordinary day an average of one to-&-fro ride per hour. Those who want to cross and do not fall within any of these groups have to get a special permit, for which they have to commute to the issuing office at the army base next to Huwwara. It opens at 6 and closes at 18, except for medical emergencies. All this was confirmed by the people we talked to. There were four soldiers + the officer when we were there, which is too few to handle this traffic at a reasonable pace, at least during rush hours. When we were there the lorries waited about 15-20 minutes and people waited between 15-30 minutes to pass. The same arbitrariness encountered here as elsewhere. Yesterday (Holocuast Memrorial Day) no one was allowed in or out and people waited for hours. Students of Al Najakh university (except those from three neighboring villages) have been having great difficulties in crossing for the past 6 weeks. Most of them return home either on Wednesday or Thursday afternoon starting at about 1PM. They go back on Saturday, when also a lot of other people cross in both directions, starting around 6.30am. We had enlarged placards in Arabic saying "No to the checkpoints" on our back and front windows, and our badges. People smiled at us, and seemed very interested to know whether we would come again. It is about a 25-30 minutes ride from Taibe checkpoint to this one: the road is breathtakingly beautiful, with the High Samaria mountains in view. Most of it is on a well paved "Settler's" narrow road, except the very last part which is littered with sewage, potholes, bumps and what not.