Jenin Area

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Jan-26-2004
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Mokibla, Checkpoint 25 and Salem Monday, January 26, 2004 Observers: SB, OD, YG, DS, BA, YA, DB, HB, Mokibla : the checkpoint is open 24 hours a day. Near the checkpoint is a large area where the “back-to-back” work goes on. Ambulances going from Israel to Jenin are forced to transfer sick people in the same way. Palestinian cars are not permitted to enter Israeli territory. At the checkpoint we met a captain who is in charge of the region’s checkpoints and an Arabic-speaking representative of the DCO. We found one detainee – handcuffed – who turned out to be mentally unbalanced. He was treated fairly and considerately. Detaineesinfo-icon are generally taken to Salem for interrogation and arrest. Checkpoint 250: the checkpoint is situated near the village of Sabbah El Hir, on the outskirts of Jenin, bordering on Area A. There is an armoured corps unit on the spot, complete with 7 alarming tanks. It seems that the tanks enter Jenin very frequently, their tracks have ruined the roads. The rain pouring down on the day of our visit turned the whole site into one huge morass. Permits aren’t needed to cross over. During our visit, there was no movement in the area. The crossing is used mainly for people working in Israel – most of them women, apparently. We should be present in the early morning, and again around 16:00 – 17:00. Salem DCO: the physical conditions are reasonable. The entrance is paved (but there was no shelter from the rain, which was pelting down). The place where the checks are carried out is some distance from the main entrance. On the day of our visit, crossing wasn’t done through a revolving gate – but it was standing at the side, and is probably used as an entrance at peak times. The counters are reinforced, and conversation with the soldiers is conducted via an intercom. The windows are behind metal bars which puts people at some distance from the windows. We managed to peep inside, because the windows were raised. Two clean toilets are available, there’s a large ventilator for the summer, and ice water in an electrically operated stand (which works). The soldiers were “alarmed” by our visit but the commander – Hasson - came out to chat with us. We heard the “usual story” about their help to the Palestinians, the intention of easing matters, showing consideration and so forth. He maintained that the facility is open 24 hours a day for emergency cases – (the question, of course, is how do the “emergency cases” get to the DCO in the middle of the night!). The busiest hours are in the morning, until 10:00. The graphics on the windows are in Arabic, and there are messages on the bulletin board in two languages. However, the instructions concerning who is entitled to cross and who isn’t, and all the related regulations, were stored in a plastic file, in several copies – but only in Hebrew.