Beit Iba, Wednesday, 22.3.2006, PM Observers: Sarah P. Raya I. (reporting)Natanya translating. During the shift the Spanish television photographed Hadas Tamir at the checkpoint. She arrived there with her son Dan and her caregiver. From what I could hear she was great, clever and focused. The Palestinians who passed by served the reportage excellently. Because we knew that they were coming to photograph, we made sure that Zacharia also came to meet Hadas whom he knows and to speak of the actions of the organization. Also Sarah P. phoned Canaan who in the past had asked to be interviewed (for anyone at all who is prepared to listen) on the economic hardships, that is of course another item. 14.05 The general atmosphere is one of confusion amongst the soldiers and a strong sense that they do not know what their role is. 14:20 8 detainees, one of whom is 10 years old. The commander says that they tried to pass through the hills and he does not know how long they have been detained. He says that is seems that it will be for a long time as they have a big problem. When the detainees saw us they signed that they wished to speak to us and asked for water. 14.30 The soldiers tell us that the this is a “military problem’ which they cannot explain to us. 14.40 Sarah goes to buy water (It was very hot) . The commander tells me that my friend cannot give the detainees anything including water without his permission. When she got back there were no detainees in the enclosure ( coincidence?). When she comes back one of the Palestinians shout to her that we do nothing. 14.45 No DCO representative and we phone without success. 14.50 The humanitarian line has 200 men and women crowded one behind another. The turnstiles are also not working properly. We try to speak to the commander who tells us to move off as far as the hut. We tell him that for two years we have been standing in the same place. “Now the order is that you stand where I tell you to.” We stayed put and tell him that from the place where he wants us to stand we can not carry out our mission. 14.50 The length of the line from Nablus is about a kilometer so two drivers tell us and people wait up to two and a half hours. We phone the DCO and they say they will send someone. 14.55 A bus arrives and all the passengers including the women get off. Names are checked against a list and takes about 10 minutes which explains why the line is blocked. 15.20 2 detainees who tried to go over the hills are brought in and a few minutes later an older man with a Jordanian passport. 15.30 I turn to Gil the spokesman with three facts. The long humanitarian line of over 200 people jammed together, the slow checking and the heat. Cars stand in a line which is a kilometer long. I ask him if there is a new ruling about where we are allowed to stand. He says not and that he will deal with it. 16.15 One of the detainees screams to ask that we should ask the commander why they are being detained and treated like dogs. 16.20 The commander after we have spoken to him goes up to the man and after a short conversation frees him. 16.25 We phone Gil and tell him that the situation is catastrophic and completely chaotic, the heat is great and all this endangers the soldiers. 16.35we phone theץ sergeant in charge of operations who says that the DCO is there and the pressure will decrease. I tell him the situation is very bad and ask if he wants that this should reach the media. He said I should not threaten him and I said I was as much a citizen as he. He says “I am not a citizen”. I said that if there had to be checkpoints they should be run properly. 17.05 A dentist from Nablus says he waited 2 hours. 17.10 We leave17.25 Checkpoint Jit. 40 cars and people are furious at the long delay after a day’s work. They have been waiting two hours. Sarah asks the soldier what the problem is and he says there is a problem with one of the cars and she suggests he frees those with whom there is no problem. I phone Sal Manzur and explain the problem and he says he will phone in 10 minutes to check. At 17.30 the soldier takes Sarah’s advice and free the other cars and we go home. 21.30 Manzur phones and is angry because I said I would phone after 10 minutes to find out what is happening. He says he immediately sent reinforcement who told him there were only 11 cars there. He says they read our reports and pass them on. Because I felt that he truly wanted to help I apologized if I had been rude but it had been a hard day.