Huwwara south & north

Huwwara North and South Sunday PM, 13.02.05Observers: Yehudit B., Naomi L. (reporting)As the hour for going out on our shift approached, the number of observers decreased, until just two of us were left, so we had to jump back and forth between North and South as much as we were able.The soldiers at both checkpoints were new and well-behaved. Especially at the southern checkpoint, the commander was pleasant and polite toward us, and particularly toward the Palestinians whom he detained and inspected. Nevertheless:Huwwara South13:30When we arrived, 2 detainees were released out of the 3 standing in the detention station, which now has an iron door with a lock. Inside the station there are 2 metal benches (what will all the others do when they get the order to pass their time at the station while sitting down?). The passage for pedestrians between the detention station and the inspection station of the soldiers is blocked by a metal fence and those going through have to bypass the detention station or pass over to the line of those entering Nablus.I show the checkpoint commander, Tz., that the pipe of one of the bathrooms is totally open and the filth is rising over its edge exactly in the middle of the pedestrian line; he thanks me and promises to deal with the matter soon (we'll see how much time that will take).15:128 detainees in the station, among them a young woman named Rana. Following this, every woman by the name of Rana will be detained, without any attention to their personal story or the reasons for their coming to the checkpoint – all of them are dangerous terrorists who have to be checked very carefully. Rana is a medical student in her last year of studies who lives in Abu Dis. She came to Nablus with another student in order to hear a lecture. When they detain her, her friend burst out crying and the checkpoint commander (Tz.) tells her that she can go, offers her water and a chair, apologizes for the delay but he must do it, there are warnings. She explains about the lecture and offers to leave her documents at the checkpoint and to come back in another hour and a half. Of course, this is impossible. "There is a serious problem concerning her, she is a special case," and "I can't tell you everything." Tz. asks who among the detainees needs to go to the bathroom while they, frozen with the cold, just want to go home. Large groups of men and women pass throug on the side of the checkpoint without any inspection. By their facial features, they pick out those who are suspicious and send them to wait on the side.15:28Another woman named Rana is removed from the line and sent to detention. Tz. offers her a drink and a chair. He explains to her in English, "You must wait."15:40Some of the detainees are released, the women with the suspicious name wait. A transit with Israeli plates, carrying sick people who were undergoing medical treatment at Assouta Hospital in TV, is detained. Among the patients is an 8 year old boy who has cancer. They have to get to Jenin and his father is sent to the detention station. Before we even understood what was going on, the driver called Dalia Bassa who gave an order to release them immediately and allow them to enter Nablus. They had all the necessary permits and, to our delight, the checkpoint commander showed understanding and was not at all stubborn about the matter. On his own initiative, he called the northern checkpoint and asked them not to make any difficulties concering the entrance to Nablus.15:50One of the suspicious women is released. The student who was a "special case" has already missed her lecture and she asks to go home. Of course, this isn't possible.16:03Another woman named Rana is brought for inspection. She came right from the Allenby Bridge, lives in Amman and came to visit her family in Nablus. Her suitcases are opened and taken by the porter to the northern checkpoint. She is confused and her eyes are full of tears, Nadim consoles her in her own language.16:58The checkpoint commander talks on the phone and asks the very suspicious medical student to enter the detainees station and sit on the bench. She agrees. At this point, we call Ra'ad and ask for his intervention to finish this humiliating inspection. He promises to speed things up and indeed, after 10 minutes she is let go. The checkpoint commander says that if she wants to go into Nablus she is free to, but she hurries to the taxi stand on her way back home. Rana from Jordan is still waiting, crying silently from time to time. Meanwhile, her suitcases are brought back to her and opened once again.17:30I go back to Ra'ad and ask him to speed up the inspection. The cold is freezing out bones and it is beginning to get dark. Ra'ad says that he asked them to speed up the inspection of the women and in fact, 5 minutes later, the order arrives to let her go too. When I ask at what hour the checkpoint closes, Tz. says that there isn't any fixed hour, it depends on a lot of factors, the light, the number of people and, of course, the warnings.Huwwara NorthAcross the road leading to Nablus there was apread a big sign saying Stop, and all the cars that had been inspected at the southern checkpoint quite carefully had to wait until a soldier took down the rope so they could pass. The soldiers say that, a week ago an Israeli car had sped down the road and for that reason this obstacle had been placed in front of all the cars entering. When the soldier disappeared, all the cars waited until someone noticed. At the exit, a female soldier from the canine unit checked all the cars going out. The drivers were set a distance from the car so they wouldn't observe the inspection process.13:48On the path next to the X- ray machine there was a soldier asking those passing by to open their packages and suitcases for another inspection, after they had been checked 2 minutes ago at the inspection station. 2 female soldiers from the Military Police are checking those going by. Not much traffic. One of them also asks men to open their coats. In a little while, a line of 50 people forms behind the gates, and we witness the usual sights: little children and infants crying, women being caught between the bars, packages barely pass through the narrow passageway. Because of the pressure, some of the women are not checked at all, and the female soldier yells at them "Imshi, imshi" and "ta'ali, ta'ali". Between the pushing of the electric buttons, people are left stranded within the turnstiles.14:00The number of detainees increases and only 3 stations are operating. One soldier's task is to raise and lower the rope blocking the road. A mother and her 3 children, 2 of whom are sons and they are returned to Nablus. "You are forbidden" the female soldier tells him, as though it was a law of nature. A youth is asked to open his coat and empty out his pockets. All the plastic bags fall out open onto the ground. In the end, a soldier picks up a bag and looks into it, takes out a pair of gym shoes with newspaper rolled up inside them, takes out the newspaper and checks what is inside. Half a minute after he went through the inspection, the soldier stops him on the path and he is asked once again to open all the packages. Then he sends him to the xray machine. Can't take any chances.14:15About 60 people are standing behind the gates and the line is moving very slowly. A woman with a baby in her arms and a 2 year old girl is asked to open up everything in her bag onto the ground. Another woman volunteers to hold the baby. She is asked to open a bottled drink and the soldier smells its contents. There are 4 young men waiting in the detainees station. A sergeant from the DCO looks into the notebooks and books of one of them. What are they looking for in the notebooks, I ask, and I am immediately taken into their confidence, taken a distance away from the station and hear the learned explanation in a whisper: "Maybe there are instructions for building a bomb in the notebooks and he is bringing them out." I couldn't restrain myself and asked, "Maybe it is all written out on the sole of his foot? Or maybe he swallowed them on scrap of paper? Then what?" And he answered me, "You know what it means when there are warnings?"3 trucks carrying cement barriers enter in order to deepen the checkpoint passsages "To make things more orderly", they explain to us. Soon the checkpoints will undergo further cosmetic improvements, the DCO representative tells us, the new gates are part of them. It will be very nice.15:04Crowding of about 100 people. Women and small children, freezing cold and it begins to rain, only 3 stations are operating.17:2018 detainees in the station, jumping around all the time to keep warm. The soldiers say that they are waiting for answers concerning them, which don't come and we see that they are really calling frequently to see if the desired answers have arrived.17:30Most of the detainees are released and the soldiers promise that the others will be let go soon.