Beit Iba, Tue 24.2.09, Morning

.

08:30  Beit Iba is very lively, many students and a long line to exit Nablus.  We timed a vehicle; it took 20 minutes to go through the checkpoint.

08:55  12 detainees.  The checkpoint commander says they’ve been there for half an hour.  They’re being held for the GSS.  Otherwise, no one is at the checkpoint.

09:05  About 8 of the detainees were released without being interviewed.  Two remain in detention.  We try to speak to one of the men after hehas been interviewed, but he’s in a hurry and isn’t interested in talking to us.  He said that when they detained him he wasn’t told why, of course.

09:10  Three more people detained.

09:25  8 detainees, all waiting to be interviewed by the GSS.

09:30  A female soldier, yelling and roaring, sends a Palestinian to detention.  We try to determine whether all the detainees are waiting to be interviewed.  Adham, the DCO representative, isn’t visible on site, but the checkpoint commander confirms they’re all to be interviewed.

Five minutes later another group of detainees is released, without being interviewed.  They spent an hour in detention for no reason.