Shaked, Rihan

Shaked, Rihan, Sunday, February 6, 2005, AMObservers: Ana N., Netta G. (reporting)Shaked, 07:30 - 08:55On the way to the Shaked gate, we picked up two schoolgirls who were walking to school in the pouring rain. At the gate there were three soldiers; we watched the girls and other children cross the gate.At 7:45, the three soldiers got into their vehicle, and before they drove off we asked what would happen if more children might show up at the gate? They said they would see them from the distance and come to open it.They left the site and at 7:50 a school boy came and found the gate locked. We called the District Coordination Office (DCO) and the humanitarian headquarters, where we were promised that in a few minutes the gate would reopen. We ended up waiting with the boy for more than an hour. The gate was opened at 8:55.Before those soldiers came and opened the gate, an officer came over, Lieutenant A., who claimed that the morning opening hours of the gate are 6:45 -7:30. Other soldiers said that the hours vary and that the children know about it from the head of the municipality.In the afternoon, I spoke with S. in the DCO, and was told that the opening hours are 7:00- 8:00, but if soldiers see that the kids have gone through, they close earlier. He promised that this problem would be taken care of, but still the school children need to come to the gate together.Needless to say, this morning was cold and rainy, the walk to the gate is difficult and the waiting time is really unpleasant.Rihan checkpoint, 09:10 - 10:15Traffic of pedestrians is sparse; the same goes for vehicles. The passage is conducted well. Among the vehicles there is a Red Crescent Ambulance. To our question, the CP commander says that the ambulance went to Um al-Rihan to take care of residents.Civilian (blue) police have arrived at the site, making a special inquiry about licenses of Arab Israelis. One driver received a traffic ticket for holding a photocopy of his car's license. For some reason, all are smiling, including the driver who received the ticket.