Awarta, Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za'tara (Tapuah), יום ב' 11.8.08, בוקר

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Observers: 
Moria and Amira A. (reporting)
Aug-11-2008
|
Morning

Translation: Suzanne O.


The roadblocks are run ‘quietly and effectively' but those arrested and put into the lock-up cell, in IDF language ‘detaineesinfo-icon', are very disturbing.


Za'atra Junction

7:15 a.m. 

There are 17 ca rs in the queue to leave Nablus.  There are no detainees.


Beit Furiq

7:30 a.m

The roadblock is open and there are no queues.  A military jeep observes the car park from beneath the watchtower.  It disappears after a quarter of an hour.


Awarta

8:10 a.m. 

There are 8 lorries in the queue from Nablus.  The inspections take 2½ minutes.  There is no queue at the entrance to Nablus but they do not start another queue for those leaving.


Huwwara

8:30 a.m. 

  • A detainee leaves the cell.  A.M. claims that he is put into the cell each day either at Beit Furiq or at Huwwara.  He does not know why.  The details are passed to Micky for clarification.
  • Another detainee has been held in the locked and barred cell since 8 a.m.  M.B., according to Moria's interrogation, is being held because of his ‘behaviour'.  He will be held until 11 a.m.  Why? He claims that he said "Ana Ahbad" to his friend and a soldier told him that he should be silent and put him in the cell.  He does not know his ID No., and his document has been taken away for inspection.  A soldier told us that he is being held as a ‘wanted person'... before we leave we ask if we can talk to the commander and the uncommunicative liaison officer about the prisoner's fate.  "He will be released at 11 a.m.", which leads us to the conclusion that they are running an educational seminar on appropriate behaviour towards the IDF.
  • 9:00 a.m.  A thorough body search of a young man with a bag that looks like a photographer's holdall.  He is put into the narrow cell in addition to the ‘behaviour' detainee.  His name is M.K.  Why is he in the locked cell? "He has not been arrested, he is detained, he is wanted", answers the soldier.  The detention becomes humiliating and offensive.  The ‘photographer' is released an hour later, after a visit from the civilian police and inspection of his documents.
  • A woman called P.J. comes over to me asking for help.  She is from the Balata refugee camp.  Her brother is an inmate in Shata Prison.  Every time she crosses the roadblock she is detained for two hours.  Last time she was also strip searched in a room there.  She has requested permission to visit her imprisoned brother three times but is always refused.  (Details have been passed to Micky F., for clarification.)
  • 9:30 a.m.  The civilian police arrive.  They inspect documents via the computer.  A young man who has been inspected is called to another soldier and told to go to the liaison officer for a ‘talk'.
  • Those leaving Nablus are in three queues and it takes about 15 minutes to cross.
  • From time to time elderly and sick people arrive; they go immediately to the car queue.  The soldier inspecting cars, if he is not being supervised, offers to help and get them into the taxis and vehicles on their way into Nablus.
  • A large group of young French people from the Free Palestine organisation leaving Nablus take an interest in our activities.  The group is accompanied by young women from Hebron.

11:00 a.m.  Huwwara village

A mobile roadblock is in place from those on their way to Tapuach Junction.  No cars were held up there.