Beit Iba, Jit, 31.7.2006, Thursday afternoonObservers: Yonah A. Ziona S. (reporting)Natanya translating.Summary. The winds of war.Nothing that we do not know but it is more concentrated. 1. People from the area of Jenin are not allowed to enter Nablus. Young people trying to do so either to work or for studies are liable to enjoy themselves for 3 hours in the jorra. 2. A detained man in the jorra stayed there for 6 hours until they came to fetch him.3. We receive condemnation bcause we are here and are told to send parcels to soldiers in the north.4. A miserable experience of “the freezing of life.”14.00 At the crossroads of Jit it a checkpoint on road 60 to the north. There is no line. Later Michky tells us that on the side of the road to the right are 4 detainees who have been drying out there 6 hours and who do not receive water or food until they are freed.14.15 Even before we get to the checkpoint we are told that people from Jenin cannot pass thourhg Shave Shomron. Whoever tries to pass through the mountains is caught, gets a summons and is fined 500 shekel. They go on doing this as otherwise they have no way of making a living. A driver who lives in Sebastia must travel though Beit Lid, go into Tulkarm and from there to Nablus. That is a detour of 30 kilometre on a road which would normally be 3 kilometre. About 10 students surround us saying that they are not allowed in for studies and also one who has a volunteer document and who works in the health services for the ambulances and this because they come from Jenin. One of them has a magnetic card. Works in Israel and even lives there. He had come to visit his mother. 14.35 The commander, second lieutenant Ariel starts a conversation with us. “you have been here for 4 years and what have you changed?” and he says we should go out to work or go home to drink coffee. We explain to him that we are here because the life these people lead is no life and we would like to change this. He agrees that they have no life but says that by being there he stops them taking through terrorist devices. When we say that anyone who really wants to will find 1000 other ways he says that in the 9 months that he has been there he has caught 3 . It is interesting that every gun magazine that is found is published and these three belts have never been mentioned.In the isolation there is a detainee whom the commander says that by catching him they prevented a tragedy and he is waiting to be taken away. 15.00 The men we met at the kiosk hope that we will help them as they are taken to the enclosure. Not only will they not get into Nablus but now they will enjoy a few hours in the jorra. We phone the District Commissioner’s Office and ask why they have been detained, The answer is that the commander is that they were in the list but this is obviously not so and they were simply taken at random. 15.15 The family of the detainees ( a wife and two children about 7,8) bring a man food and the commander so kindly allows them to give to it to him but after a second he screams at them “Yallah enough” and the children frightened back off.15.20 The commander opens the cell where a man sits blindfolded . He has been there over two hours and is nearly fainting from the heat. The DCO tries to hasten the jeep which is to fetch him but to no avaio.15.45 We hear a shout “ Hi. LIFE IS FROZEN”. The soldiers aim their rifles at those standing in line. From all sides we hear “GO back” also a wagon and horse, old and young, The checkpoint is closed. Whoever was inside the turnstile is stuck there. Ariel, the commander, shouts “Everyone shut up.” He goes with his phone from the drivers to the post and back and sends the drivers back to their cars. Only an ambulance of the Red Cross passes. Suddenly the world is silent and the Palestinians stand motionless also the small children. Women are not allowed to come near the checkpoint “The turnstiles are closed.” From the turnstiles menAre pulled out and told to empty all their belongings while the soldier stands at a distance with his rifle pointed. Everything is thrown out and they go back to the line. In the humanitarian line there are already 100 people and going into nablus 70.16.00 I phone the centre about the blindfolded men and are asked the name but the commander refuses to give us the information. We phone again and Mirian promises to check. 16.00 “The freezing of life” is lifted. People start to move and the soldiers push them back. Next to us are 3 small girls who are very pretty and we remark on it. A man standing next to us says “Nice children ah? The children in Kana were also nice, right?” Our hearts ache and we have no reply and are ashamed. He speaks to us and says he is from Jenin and went to Jordan for 3 months and now he lives in Nablus but the DCO will not change his address. Now he also cannot return home to Nablus. See what the Israelis are doing, building hatred, the children grow up with what is happening, the checkpoints, the soldiers filled with hate and fear and their aimed weapons. And therefore it is not strange that they wait for Nasrallah to liberate them.17.00 The randomly and dangerous detainees are free after 3 hours. 17.30 we again phone the DCO about the blindfolded man . He has not been there five and a half hours. Miriam manages to communicate with the secret service who say that their car has broken down and they will get there in half an hour. We go to Anabta