Bethlehem. Tuesday PM, 14-3-06 Observers: Ruth O. and Ilana D. (reporting)From 2:30 till 5:30 PMJericho had just been over the radio and together with the Purim curfew it didn’t bode well for our shift. Already on Hebron Road we noted much army presence. Just in front of the first tunnel a jeep was holding up three cars, there was NO WAY we could park without endangering others and ourselves. It was clear the BP was looking for Israelis returning their workers. We noticed increasingly more army jeeps and with amazement observed the proceedings of the mountain moving construction works carried out around the Tunnel CP. We tried to get a closer look at a strange red-roofed house in the valley across the CP and asked the soldiers too, but were unable to find out any details.Al Khadr was, if at all possible, even more depressing than ever. More empty yellow cabs than usual were waiting for passengers that didn’t show up.People asked us how long the curfew would last, others were well informed and replied, that only to-morrow the holiday in Jerusalem would be celebrated. A teacher in Hebron who lives in Jerusalem with his family canusually pass, but was not allowed through CP 300 today. But despite the closure on Sunday and Monday he did pass – “Please tell me why!” He was very frustrated that he had been told to just turn back and had not been givenany reason. He had already called the Moked and they were dealing with many similar cases. A man asked how and when he might be able to visit his married daughter in Gaza. His wife hails from there and has not been back inthe last five years, nor had she been able to see her mother before her death. A couple of times we heard the complaint, what use we were, what we were doing and how we could help. Some men who were eating together on plastic chairs in front of the garbage told us that whereas the Hamas is willing to ‘talk’, Israel’s response is violence, assassinations with killings of innocent bystanders (children) and now Jericho. A cab driverhad been fined 750 Sh. this morning. He had immediately gone to Beitar to pay, since he had only one day. Meanwhile his license had been taken away. He wondered how he could retrieve it from Ras Al Amud. When we wanted him to sign a power of attorney to Haya, it turned out that one of his aunts livesthere and would be able to get it. We wondered (but forgot to look) what might have earned him a punishment of 750 Shekels.A couple after fifteen years of marriage finally had a baby with cardiac problems. The child had been operated on, but needed to return for a check-up in May. They fear that they will not be allowed into Israel by then and were told to call us close to the time of the appointment.Eleven detainees rounded up in a bus were walked by two BP-men from the Tantur junction to CP 300. The soldiers told us that they would be let free mmediately and that they had been held up six minutes ago. Six of them men were indeed released and sent back to Bethlehem, but claimed to have been detained for over an hour. The others were told to wait across the terminal and had to sign the usual papers. Then they were told to pass the check and the first turned out to be refused by the Security Services. Then the computer crashed and no one could pass. The commander took them to the side,because the many groups of tourists coming through were eyeing them. Not one passport of the tourists was scrutinized. A group of people who work for theAmerican Embassy and live in Bethlehem were let through without inspection either, they greeted us warmly. Then the five men were led into the innards of the terminal where we could no longer observe what was being done to them.