Beit Iba, Jit, Shave Shomron, Thu 14.8.08, Morning
07.00 Jit junction open, an army vehicle present.
07.20 Beit Iba junction. There is a line of 4 cars entering Nablus. It takes a minute or two to check.
One station is open in each direction for pedestrians. Men and women stand in the same line and each ID is checked. Those leaving Nablus have to remove shoes and belts and empty pockets. Sometimes the magnometer beeps and the person has to remove another item of clothing, while sometimes the soldiers ignore the beep. On the way out of Nablus there is a “quick line” for women and seniors.
07:35 There is a line of 7 cars entering Nablus; waiting time is seven minutes.
There is a doghandler who checks some of the cars entering Nablus. The dog sniffs all the sections of the vehicle. A porter with a donkey cart loaded with sacks waits for the soldiers to check them. They glance at him and let him proceed.
07.45 Documents of those entering are now checked against lists. On the other hand, the women’s documents are not checked.
Avital crosses to the other side of the road (next to the doghandler) and the soldiers cease examining entering vehicles. Only when she returns to the pedestrians’ checkpoint does the vehicle-checking resume.
The soldiers rummage through the bags of those exiting Nablus. One young man is made to empty his whole bag of clothes on the floor.
08.45 We leave.
Shavei Shom to Palestinians.