Beit Iba, Jit junction, Wednesday, 14.2.2007, morningObservers: Netta A. Inbal R. Rina Z. (reporting)Natanya translatingSummary: The closure has been renewed on Nablus for men 16-30.At Ein Bidan people who live north of Nablus are not allowed to go to their homes and this includes students who are exiting for the end of the week. The talk is of riots in Jerusalem so where it the logic?We have learned that one does not believe every story told but we have to check. Beit Iba There is once more a closure (alleviations if you remember). Men aged 16-25. Inhabitants of Nablus and the surrounding villages are not allowed to leave.Reserve soldiers man the checkpost. A captain and soldiers carry out the checking swiftly. No lines. At the car lane is a dog tracker, 2 women soldiers and a representative of the District Coordinator’s Office.3. detainees, their numbers appeared on the list who are freed 5 minutes later. One says he waited half an hour.A man from Dir Sharif tells us that between Monday and Tuesday his brother’s wife went into labour. The ambulance was not allowed to pass the checkpoint (it was 12 at night and the checkpoint closes at 20.00). The soldiers sent them to Hawarra and the price of the ambulance was 120 shekel because of the distance. We spoke to the commander and the DCO representative who said it was impossible. Ambulances can pass the checkpoint at any time of night. And they report it. Especially the reserves soldiers who are themselves family men would not refuse an ambulance. We decided to check further and got to the husband of the woman at Dir Sharif. From him we learned that the ambulance had not even tried to pass at Beit Iba. The driver told them that there was no passage there and went straight to Hawarra (and took the scandalous price for the area of the West Bank). So the suspicion arose that here was the case of a crooked driver. We phoned the number through which the ambulance had been ordered and reached the Red Cross. First of all the man who answered confirmed that ambulances could pass through Beit Iba at night. As to the affair at Dir Sharif at first he said that sometimes and ambulance was delayed a few minutes at the checkpoint. Then he told us that the price for such a trip was 20 shekel only and that if we would bring him the receipt he would find who this rascal of a driver was. And that it was a long time since he had driven to Dir Sharif. And then we thought what sort of report we would have made had we not gone to check on it. (Luckily that Dir Sharif is so near). And what could have been made by mistake of this story. And that shows that we cannot take each story for granted.10.05 Jit junction. Two checkpoints that the crossroads to the east and west are again in action and so we see that the alleviations were only temporary. Two reserve teams and two captains. They would give us no information. From a jeep at the side of the road we heard cries of “Go and look after your grandchildren.” And an order to the commander “Don”t speak to those Polish women.” Immediately a police vehicle arrived. How do they always know where we are? The problem was that there was no fixed place for Nadim to park and as we did not want him to get a report we moved on. We shortened the shift because we had to meet a Palestinian at the crossroads of Jit , a resident of the village of Sarah who said that soldiers had beaten him up when he had tried to get to his land near Kedumiem. But he did not come because of a medical condition.Ein Bidan. At 13.00 we spoke to Mahmud Nasar from radio Nablus who told us that there were long lines at the exit from Nablus. But the worst problem was that young people under the age of 25 were not allowed to leave and also that residents of Jenin and the northern villages could not return to their homes . This included students who were returning home for the weekend. Note must be taken of the fact that the entrance to Nablus is open and so those who enter are not warned that they cannot leave. We let Naomi know in the hope that she would manage to do something about this stupid decree.