Beit Iba, Tuesday 15.8.2006 PM Observers; Horit H., Fatchia A. Dina P and Tali KNatanya translating. 14.20 At the crossroads of Beit Jit 18 cars waiting in the opposite direction from Huwarra. 14.40 At the industrial area of Qedumim in the opposite direction from Beit Iba are 29 cars. 14.50 Beit Iba where there was a lot of pressure and the soldiers were not in complete control of the situation. Long lines and soldiers shouting at the Palestinians. At the entrance to Nablus about 15 cars and the first driver said he had been waiting for half an hour but that the more important problem was that at the exit from Nablus one waited 3-4 hours. The first driver exiting Nablus confirmed this when he said he had already waited two and a half hours. Pedestrians leaving the checkpoint said that they had waited two and a half hours. There is no humanitarian line. 15.10 One of the traders said that the soldiers would not allow the children working with him to take goods through. The soldier said that this was so because the children had tried to take their goods through without letting the soldiers check. When the children promised that they would not do so in the future the problem was solved. About 12 detainees. 4 taxi drivers who said that they had been there since 9.00, 6 students who had been there a number of hours, one truck drivers who had been there since 8.00 and a lawyer from 11.00. 15.20 We telephoned the centre and asked to have a humanitarian line opened and to hasten the checking of the detainees. While we were talking 6 detainees were freed and at 15.30 a humanitarian line was opened. 15.45 The pressure let up and there was hardly any line. 6 people still detained. At 15.52 we again phoned the centre who said that they would get back to us. 15.52 One of the detainees said that he was sick and had to take medicine which was at his home. The commander freed him. We asked the detainees if they had had water. The lawyer said that one of the soldiers had brought them water but had spat in it so they had had nothing to drink for some hours. Their phones had been confiscated two hours previously. He said that there were a number of horrible cases which we had not seen but other witnesses confirmed this. At 14.00 one of the soldiers of the previous shift before we arrived had put his rifle to the forehead of the lawyer who had asked to be freed so as to get to court. He also said that a few minutes before we arrived a woman was freed who had been kept from 8am.When she was detained one of the soldiers cursed her and made a disgusting sign to her and said that until she cried she would not be freed. 16.16 Once again a call to the centre and three more detainees freed. 16.45 A handicapped man who could hardly walk and nearly fell in the humanitarian center. Why are there no chairs for the handicapped? 16.55 The rest of the detainees are freed.