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Sarra, Dir Sharaf 24.1.04 Watchers: Norah O., Victoria B., Roni H. (reporting) Sarra and Dir Sharaf are checkpoints that have been situated in the middle of Palestinian areas and have only one ostensible purpose: namely to impede the freedom of movement of the Palestinians and render their lives miserable. Sarra As already has been described several times, Sarra is a checkoint on the western outskirts of Nablus, on the top of a mountain, in the middle of nowhere and not passable by cars. 4 IDF soldiers stop everyone who wants to cross into or out of Nablus and send them back to where they came from. Only men over 35 and boys under 16 can pass. Contrary to Beit Furik and Dir Sharaf, where students were allowed to pass, here they were turned back ("Students are the most dangerous," in the words of one soldier). Medical workers are sent back as well. The laws of this place are determined by the soldiers according to their will and convenience ("security alerts") and no one is there to monitor them!We left our driver at the bottom of the mountain near the iron barrier, which blocks the road. When we descended, we saw a military jeep chasing the van away. The driver told us that the soldiers in the jeep threatened to shoot at the wheels. When he drove away, they followed, stopped him and took his ID, turned back and drove to the barrier. There we came downhill and demanded the ID back. We were reprimanded for being where we were not supposed to be (and for seeing what we were not supposed to see) - this is land of the Wild West! Dir Sharaf/Beit Iba Very accurately described in the shocking reports of Dafna B. and Ada R. from last Wednesday. Many soldiers and jeeps around. Many people wanting to cross from and into Nablus. The same rules as in Beit Furik: no men between the ages of 16-35 without special permits. Catch-22 situation for attaining permits at DCO in Huwwarah: in order to get to the DCO [Civil Administration office, where permits are issued.] A resident of Beit Iba has to cross 2 checkpoints without a permit! Students and women were allowed through. 5 detainees sitting at the concrete wall, waiting already for hours for their IDs. They were caught in the hills while trying to circumvent the checkpoint. The checkpoint commander decided that they deserve severe punishment and that their IDs will not be returned before 15:00! Atmosphere of hostility and violence. Our presence seems to soften the soldiers, who are ready to talk to us, but they are not prepared to ease the conditions of passage. People with medical conditions are not let through, only in ambulances! We shall file a complaint about this measure, which forces people to pay 250 NIS for a private ambulance to ferry them across the checkpoint! When a young man showed the soldier his (probably) broken wrist, he was turned back. By chance an ambulance came by and we asked if he could pass through on it. The answer was yes and, luckily, he could get to the hospital for X-rays. Another young man had a summons for an appendix checkup. No way to pass! No ambulance around for already more than one hour. We pleaded - in vain. Only after 2 hours of waiting, when the DCO officer Avi arrived, did he get an O.K. for going to the clinic!!! A taxidriver needed his car repaired. Go to Sebasti. They do not have the needed parts. Tow the car to Nablus! This is extremely expensive and my car can do it. No way! A farmer from a distant village came with a jerrycan of olive oil. Wants to sell it in the city. No way! An elegant businessman was turned back! No way! Running between the soldiers and the waiting people we were pleading, trying to convince, trying to release the detainees - without success. At a certain point we felt that our presence is becoming counterproductive and we decided to leave.For the Dir Sharaf teams: at the end of our shift we learned from an ambulance driver that the Red Crescent ambulances can be called for patient transportation without payment. The central office number: 02-2406515.A hospital in Qalqilya runs an ambulance service for token payment only: 09-2940966. Worthwhile to try them out. Victoria B.’s report: As we approached the CP in Beit Iba, we were told that a young man was beaten / pushed around at the CP - that was the wayof the soldier to explain to him that he cannot enter Nablus. From the CP,rude yelling of the soldier could be heard. Some 5 detainees weresitting at the concrete wall, together with another 5 whose ID wasbeing checked. Sick people were requested to take ambulances, as in Huwwara, but therewere no ambulances they could alight to cross the checkpoint. Finally,a DCO captain Avi appeared and passed two medical cases through.A woman with hospital papers wanted desperately to get her young son(in religious garb) into Nablus. We managed, with difficulty, to talkthe officer into letting them both in, without planting the guyfor hours at the wall for the ID checkup. "I will check him thoroughly if he tries to come back," said the officer in a dreamy voice. Therewere quite a few soldiers there, but most of the time they stoodat a great distance, and people had to guess if they are being summonedand had to brave approach at the risk of being yelled at. We ended up functioning as dispatchers. Harassment stories by people who live in villages on the outer sideof the CP: To get anywhere you need a permit from the DCO in Huwwara. But to get to Huwwara you need to cross the CP, for which a permit is required, so you are at a mercy of the soldiers. If you try to walk around the CP, you get hunted, andpunishments in these remote places are at the soldiers' discretion. Oneman told of being ordered to stand for 6 hours, 3 - 9 PM (sitting not allowed).Another angry young man, who was apparently just released, was fastening the belt of his pants; he told us about being caught in the mountains, ordered at gunpoint to take off his pants and to sit on the ground. The punishments of this sortare administered in the hills, and on the military base somewhereacross the mountain. In addition, you may be detained interminably foran "ID check" at the CP - we saw that one, the soldiers freelyadmitted that the extra wait is a punishment.Then there is harassment by the army in thevillages. A bitter Sebasti inhabitant said: "We are treated likeanimals," and told about bullet holes in the houses, and aboutbeating of kids accused of stone throwing.