Jubara, Ar-Ras, Anabta, Tuesday, 01/08/2006 AMObservers: Elinoar B., Amira (reporting)Translator: Milette S. General: The number of residents and vehicles wishing to cross is sparse this morning. The military closure continues despite the media announcement of its revocation. Pronounced is the unpredictable arbitrariness experienced by the Palestinians whose lives depend on cruel uncertainty, and experienced also by us as witnesses who never know what the new day will bring, especially after describing the same places on Sunday (Racheli A.’s report). 6:30 Irtah – the “Efraim Gate” facility is closed and locked.Israeli employers stand waiting close by for it to “maybe” open. “There’s closure today for now,” they tell us, and wait for military arbitrariness to open the gates and for laborers to be available for hire. Jubara – desolate as usual. Mahmud greets us at Abu Hatem, still a name without a home, village, country. Ar-Ras checkpoint – Cars are ascending from the Tulkarm direction; cars are coming from the Qalqilya direction. No one is stopping or inspecting them. A command car with its engine running stands at the checkpoint and its soldiers are taking a nap, except for one soldier who’s surprised to see us at this early hour. In response to our question he confirms that there’s closure in effect today and also age restriction [on those asking to cross]. Beyond this he wasn’t willing to talk. On the road to Beit Iba some vehicles are visible, mainly carrying orange license plates. The rest are Palestinian taxis. It seems that others have given up travel unless necessary. Shomron intersection 60/57 – no checkpoint9:00 Anabta (on the way back from Beit Iba) – there’s a boom in development. Huge dirt trucks are standing by the checkpoint. The dirt road is now ploughed and muddy upon approaching the checkpoint. The coiled barbwires along the road were removed. Today’s restrictions: residents of Jenin and its vicinity are not allowed to exit. The same goes for all residents between the ages of 15 and 35. A mother, her son, and a granddaughter are asking to exit to go to the village of Beit Lid, to visit a sick daughter there. They’ve been at the checkpoint for an hour already, trying to plead with the commander in every possible way to let them exit. A sweeping refusal. The mother comes to plead with us, crying; I too shed a tear of frustration. They go back to the village they came from, in the growing heat, with the granddaughter riding on shoulders. 9:30 – we left.