Huwwara, Sunday 16.4.06 PMObservers: Judit B., Shiri V., Galit G., Tal H. (reporting)Summary: cold, rainy and mean. Weatherman spoke of 15 degrees centigrade in Nablus.Explosive-detector dog sniffing every millimeter of an ambulance interior for 15 minutes while two wounded boys who need to be delivered to hospital in all urgency, are lying outside in the cold wind(13 deg. centigrade at the most) on their cots, at the Zaatara Junction.Today’s pearl of wisdom (CP commander M.) – “if someone is hurting in line because they’ve just had an operation, I’d advise them to go back to hospital”.And now the full version:15:25 Zaatara Junction: an ambulance from Jenin is being held up for a dog-sniff inspection that just doesn’t end. In the meantime, two wounded boys lie on their cots outside. One of them is seriously wounded in a major leg artery. Both are connected to IV tubes. Shivering, one barely conscious, the other occasionally shouting in pain. The Palestinian paramedics stand by them, holding the IVs, telling us these are two boys wounded by gunshots. They must be brought to Ramallah hospital in all urgency. It is freezing cold and we ask the soldier to let us get them blanket while they wait, but she flatly refuses to even listen. after 15 minutes the soldiers finally conclude their inspection and the ambulance is permitted to rush on its way.A later call to the army hotline informs us that the ambulance arrived with 3 wounded boys from Ya’abad to Jenin at 11:50 a.m. Two of them could not be operated there and had to be sent on to Ramallah. They finally made it to Ramallah hospital at 4:45 p.m.! The boys’ condition was not reported.In line waiting to be checked – 50 vehicles southbound from Nablus.The town of Huwwara is still, all shops closed and shuttered, no one seen on the street.At Yitzhar-Huwara Junction, the usual roadblock. A minivan driver detained and handcuffed over two hours for having “messed up”, according to the soldier who deigned speak to us. When he got out of the car he “acted violently”, “raised a hand” at the soldier, and yelled. 2 children seated next to him, also waiting for the army to process them. The parents of one of them stand next to us, helpless. The army claims the boys threw stones. Their ages: 15-16. People told us Huwara has been under total curfew for two hours now, as a punishment for stone throwing. The Palestinians claim not a stone has been thrown. We gave the parents the number of the Center for the Protection of the Individual in order to get updates.At the same roadblock, a taxi driver is detained with his two passengers, over 35. hours as punishment for misbehaving. The army hotline would later inform us that both taxi and minivan drivers had tried to circumvent the roadblock and were therefore punished by waiting for 4 hours. There was no explanation for the handcuffs.Huwara16:00 -M. Cp commander, same as last week.2 detainees in the pen: one had understood from the girl soldier performing the body checks that he must open his pants, and refused. The CP commander explains: “I don’t him to misbehave in my CP. If he doesn’t have the common sense to understand what she tells him to do which is lift up his trouser legs, that’s his problem. If he starts shouting, soon he’ll raise his hands against a soldier.” The other detainee came to the CP to turn himself in, he is wanted by the army that has already harassed his brother. He has been waiting to be taken since 10 a.m.16:25 – another 2 detainees, more “educational” cases.Crowding in the body check lines behind the turnstiles, as well as for the ID checks – is tremendous, even with the special side line open for women children and elderly.17:30 – 5 detainees, still. No change. Just much colder.No relief at the waiting lines. The number of people is constant and checking pace snail-slow. The special side line is opened only intermittently for very short periods.It is closed for a whole hour, 4:45 until 5:45 p.m., and none of the soldiers is approachable.18:00 – still terribly crowded, special side line closed again and stays closed for the rest of our shift.A couple in trouble : they live in Turmus Aya, the woman and children are registered there and have no problem passing, but will not proceed without the husband who is still registered as a Balata refugee camp resident. E., the MP officer in charge vehemently refuses to consider the situation that has developed (the woman will not proceed alone, and must get back to her young children at home). On the other hand, the army “humanitarian” hotline says there is definitely room for consideration on humanitarian grounds.During most of our shift a 3-man team (officer and two soldiers) are on a visit at the CP but at 6 p.m. they enter the lines and fish out at least one of the young men waiting, check his ID and question him as though they’d been waiting for him especially.A woman visibly ailing in the crowded line approaches a soldier who does not understand a word she says, telling him in Arabic she’s had an operation and is still in pain, pointing to her belly, and asks to be let forward. She’s ashen and suffering. No response. The CP commander’s reply to our request to consider this is quoted at the opening of our report. (“I’d advise them…”)18:45 -The boy who came to turn himself in at 10 a.m. is still detained, waiting with the other “educational” detainees. The army hotline no longer responds to our calls.18:55 -we leave.19:00 Yitzhar-Huwara – 11 cars waiting to be checked, southbound.Zaatara Junction – 50 cars waiting to be checked (5 minutes after they got out of Huwara CP), southbound from Nablus. About 30 vehicles waiting, coming from the west.The sight of the two gunshot wounded boys, IV tubes held by the paramedics and legs bare in the freezing wind on the cots, the one shouting in pain, haunted us all along our shift and did not let up as we rode westbound at the end of the day.