Huwwara 25 September 2005 Watchers: Yael B., Sharon V., Ditza Y. (reporting)Explosives device found at Huwwara, two 15 year old children, in whose possession the improvised explosives were found, sit in the lock-up, their hands bound, looking as if they don’t understand what’s going on. The soldiers are hostile; it is very difficult to get any information from them on what is happening. Depressing.Za’atra Junction7:40 a.m.There is one car at the roadblock in the easterly direction, 23 vehicles in the southerly direction. Two artillery soldiers and their officer, new here, cooperate with us. The officer, Shachar, takes care that the crossing flows swiftly, and indeed, the 23rd vehicle crossed the roadblock 13 minutes after reaching it. However, today there is a ‘separation’ (Bidud) and the vehicles, and similarly the pedestrians, are not allowed anywhere not within their sector. One young man, who has been refused permission to cross, comes to me with a question: What can I tell my boss? A vehicle owner in the queue comes over to us. We advise him of the ‘separation’ and he asks: Why don’t they tell us about it? Why do I need to waste my time at the roadblock?A passing settler vents his anger on us: It is infuriating that you help the Palestinians and not those thrown out of Gush Katif. Why don’t you help them? You only harm our people.Huwwara8:30 a.m.A few minutes after our arrival, a load of improvised explosive devices and a magazine of cartridges are found on two 15-year-old children, they are put in a police jeep. Everyone is moved away, of course without any explanation. The only word said to the Palestinians is ‘irja’ and this not particularly gently.Some of the people don’t understand what is happening and they see their removal from the roadblock and hold-ups on the road as just another arbitrary action by the soldiers. Others, to whom we explain the situation don’t believe it. They are sure that the army planted the explosives at the roadblock.9:00 a.m. aboutSappers arrive with a robot to carry out a controlled explosion of the charges.9:20 a.m.An ambulance is allowed to cross detouring the roadblock.Many newspaper photographers and television cameramen arrive as well as a number of settlers, some of them armed, they come, of course, because the I.D.F. needs reinforcements.A Palestinian young man is isolated and we approach him. He tells us that his I.D. card has been taken away and he doesn’t know why or why he has been isolated.We try to find out from a soldier the meaning of the isolation, he answers us: He is a suspect, I don’t know of what. The Palestinian points out the 2nd lieutenant or lieutenant (his rank was covered) who is the one who took his I.D. card and moved him away from the rest of the people. I go to him – he acts as if I was air.9:30 a.m.The charges are exploded.9:37 a.m.Still no one is allowed to cross but an ambulance, an urgent case, is allowed to cross via Beit Furiq.9:40 a.m.Yael tries to speak to the mute officer to find out why the young man was isolated. When she doesn’t take no for an answer, he barks at her: Do I owe you something? Do I work for you? (We were unable to find out his name.)9:45 a.m.People are allowed to continue on their way, we go to the roadblock.The two boys who were found with the explosives are in the lock-up, hands bound, guarded by a soldier whose weapon is trained upon them. A difficult scene: we don’t understand why the army is so frightened of two children whose pockets they have emptied and whose hands they have bound. The young man whose I.D. card was taken away is also brought to the lock-up and his hands are also bound. Nadav from the D.C.O. tells us that he caused damage to an army jeep. There is another young man in the lock-up who is quickly released.Among the soldiers checking is one who is wearing a kippah without a helmet, he says heatedly: We should drop an atom bomb on them! I would pull out their nails one at a time! He manages to stir up the rest of the soldiers at the checkpoint, and when we ask for water to be given to the children, as they have requested, they are furious that such a perverted idea should enter our minds.Hosem, the D.C.O. officer, granted our request and brings them water. Two of the soldiers we spoke to soften a little.10:20 a.m.The two children are put into an army jeep and leave.10:25 a.m.There are 25 – 30 people in the queues for the turnstiles. There are many soldiers present. Two soldiers check documents while two others cover them; four check bags at the magnometer, and the roadblock commander checks larger loads at the rear turnstile (the first one on reaching the roadblock).10:35 a.m.The young man without an I.D. card is still in the lock-up.We leave the roadblock.1:45 p.m.We phone the young man, he tells us that he was released from the lock-up a quarter of an hour ago and is already at home in Nablus.