Beit Iba, Wed 6.2.08, Afternoon

Natanya translating.

We came late to Beit Iba and that was because of a visit to Cfar Charis where there had been problems between the army and the residents and we wanted to see what had happened. There will be a separate report on that.

16.15 On our way we saw tht Zeita was blocked (road 505 which is the continuation of road 5) and so were the other roads of the village.
Crossroads of Tapuach…a line of cars leaving Nablus and none going in.  The crossroads of Yizhar were empty and so was Jit.
15.55  At Beit Iba there was no line of cars going into Nablus and only a few coming out.
Only one turnstile was working. The other had not been in use some hours. The commander had created two lines of those leaving. In the shed were about 100 people. 3 detainees. We meet the commander of the military police, Itzik and his sergeant Siran who is from Dimona, both are sergeants. We had a pleasant conversation. They said they were stationed in Shomron next to Hawarra. Their duties are to survey the "passage units" so they call the checkpoints and to see that everything was as it should be.  Their words. When we asked how things should be they said both from the point of view of security and that of the inhabitants. Sergeant Ofir, the commander of the checkpoint also spoke in such a manner to us. He said the detainees would soon be freed. 

At 17. 35 we left for Anabta. . .