Rihan

Rihan, Thursday, February 3, 2005, AMObservers: Leah R., Sandra R., Chedva H. (reporting)10:20 - 12:30Rihan - An hour after our arrival, the real movement of both vehicles and pedestrians started.Vehicle passage: The checkpoint commander, a second lieutenant, stopped a tow truck carrying a Subaru car, thus not allowing its driver to cross in the direction of the occupied territories. The driver is a resident of Barta'a who intended on going as far as the village of Ya'abed (West Bank) to repair the Subaru, owned by his son. According to him, a friend of his son was supposed to meet him on the other side of the checkpoint, and take the car to the garage. In Barta'a, the same repair would have cost him a NIS 1,000 more.A military Jeep parked next to Leah, and the driver introduced himself as the one she turned to two weeks ago to open the gate at Shaked. He promised that he is determined to see to it that things at the gate will be handled properly.Pedestrian passage: A man with his 15-year-old daughter is not allowed into Israel. He is a resident of the village of Aneen (West Bank) while his wife and daughter live in Um al-Fahem (Israel). The daughter is returning from a visit with him. She is ill, apparently suffering from a slight mental disability as well as seizures and perhaps additional ailments. The father held an invitation for a doctor's appointment in Um al-Fahem. Since he didn't have a permit to go into Israel, the soldiers at the CP refused him entry and were willing to let the daughter in, but she is not independent and cannot be left alone.All we could do was provide the father with the telephone number of the headquarters ("Moked").12:30Shaked - There was not a living soul on site. Apparently the school children had crossed the gate prior to our arrival.