HUWWARA, Wednesday 3 November 2004 AMObservers: Rahel A., Zilla L., Keren P., Hannah A. (reporting) colour=red>In general: there were no detainees, and almost nobody going through. The Palestinians were being punished for this week’s terrorist attack [when a 16-year-old lad from the Askar refugee camp near Nablus made his way to Tel Aviv where he blew himself up in the Carmel market, killing three Israelis and wounding dozens more]. As we drove here we saw an unannounced checkpoint at Jit junction and the few people who got through to Beit Iba were checked there again.Huwwara SouthThere were about 50 people trying to go through the checkpoint when we arrived at 08 :10. Only people whose ID cards proved that they were Nablus residents were allowed in. Rahel talked to the District Coordinating Office (DCO) [the army section that handles civilian matters; it generally has representatives at the checkpoints ostensibly to alleviate the lot of the Palestinians] about allowing people from villages adjacent to Nablus through to their homes. After some time, instructions to this effect were received, but the people in line were not informed. A request to the commander to inform them was greeted with impatience, but, to prove to us that “they know” he went over to the turnstile, asked who spoke Hebrew and told the man who answered him to convey to the people that only those living in Nablus, Beit Furik and another village could go through. All the others, including doctors, were banned.Despite the impatient attitude of the soldiers, parents with sick children were allowed through (sometimes it was only one parent, the other being sent back). When we stood talking to the Palestinians, the commander came over suspiciously to check.Zilla contacted Knesset Member Roman Bronfman’s assistant who said that nothing could be done. When we left at 10:00, 30 people were waiting.On the way to Huwwara North we saw a torn poster calling on the population to cooperate with the army. There was nobody waiting on the north side, and the checking positions were not manned. In the distance, we could see a few people in the taxi area. Three women arrived at the checkpoint, with a toddler and a baby in arms. Nobody came over to them and after a few minutes we tried to do something, but the commander stopped us. Then one of the soldiers went over to them. They had Israeli ID cards and were allowed to go through.The volunteer at the Huwwara South checkpoint was hostile and, in addition, posed as the commander.