Beit Iba, Tue 1.7.08, Afternoon
Beit Iba, 16:25
Quiet. Very few people in line before the turnstiles. We saw 2 detainees in the shed. When we asked the reason for their detention, the checkpoint commander, Sergeant A., said "Bingo". They have been there for 2 hours, he says. Yael called the humanitarian hotline to let them know and to clarify the reason for the detention.
17:00
More people arrive, not empty any more.
One of the detainees is released. We asked him if he knows what caused his detention. He answered that it happens to him almost every day. He enters Nablus with no problem but, at the exit, he is detained for 2 hours every time. He seems wiped out and angry. Why not?
We questioned the commander, A., whether or not he knows the detainees. He says yes, he has detained them frequently. Why? He says that their ID number matches a number appearing on his list. Bingo! Perhaps his recognizing them would have some influence on their being released? No. I do what they tell me, I notify the office of the unit, which notifies the office of the platoon, and they notify the office of brigade…and wait about 2 hours until they are released. He himself has no interest in detaining them, but the numbers match, so Bingo!
Light traffic of vehicles in both directions.
17:20
The second detainee is released. The same story.
17:30
We left Beit Iba. We passed the outpost "Shvut Ami" which looks abandoned but, on the opposite hill, we see a few settlers picnicing. Maybe they are planning something?
Beit Iba
See all reports for this place-
A perimeter checkpoint west of the city of Nablus. Operated from 2001 to 2009 as one of the four permanent checkpoints closing on Nablus: Beit Furik and Awarta to the east and Hawara to the south. A pedestrian-only checkpoint, where MachsomWatch volunteers were present daily for several hours in the morning and afternoon to document the thousands of Palestinians waiting for hours in long queues with no shelter in the heat or rain, to leave the district city for anywhere else in the West Bank. From March 2009, as part of the easing of the Palestinian movement in the West Bank, it was abolished, without a trace, and without any adverse change in the security situation.
Neta EfroniJun-4-2014Beit-Iba checkpoint 22.04.04
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