Beit Iba, Mon 16.2.09, Afternoon

15.45
Amjad of the kiosk says that he is sure that the checkpoint is going to be closed. Students come out one by one. The humanitarian line is packed but moving. Cars entering are not checked. A woman with a baby in arms and her husband carrying full plastic bags come into the humanitarian line. The soldier frees the woman and the baby but the man is sent to the x-ray machine. When we ask he says that the DCO does not separate families. The DCO goes to check and says that the soldier sent the man to the machine because of the parcels.

15.30
At the exit from Nablus cars with yellow licence plates are stopped, IDs taken and they have to stand at the side. A captain comes back with the IDs and speaks to the passengers. He asked one of the drivers if she did not know that Israelis were not allowed into Nablus. The driver of another car answers the driver,  "This morning we entered from here. I showed the soldier my ID and he told me to go on. Why now do you want to stop me?"  After the baggage compartment was checked and parcels the captain freed the car. The absence of the porters is noticeable. Probably they also feel the absences of people. Really it should be closed down.