Huwwara, Beit Furik, Za’atara, 11.2.2006, Saturday PMObservers: Dalia G. Edna K. Dafna B. (reporting)Natanya translating.Summary. Long lines at Za’atara. At Hawarra there is little traffic but a horrible incident of continuous handcuffing and choking of detainees. The soldiers get rid of them immediately by freeing them and sending them in the direction of Nablus so that they should not be able to give us their evidence. We saw that though the soldiers are hostile and will not speak to us they are aware of our silent presence which also does the trick. It is terrifying to think what happens when we are not there. And also be careful of the traps the soldiers send to us, for example Palestinians who come to us with false stories. 17.10 Za’atara CO (Tapuach). 27 cars from the north ( Shomron crossing) and from the north to south 2 detainees next to the checkpoint dressed only in thin t-shirts and were obviously having a hard time. They are from Kafin, Jenin district, study in Bir Zeit. Because of the segregation they have been sent back to Hawarra but tried to bypass though Tapuach, a road 50 metres from there and everyone who walks can be seen by the soldiers. They are now being held until the police arrive. We could not help…they have broken the law and must be punished. And if the police do not arrive we asked. “A few days ago” says the commander “I kept someone here for two days until the police arrived.” The youths refused to take a sweater from Edna and stood shrunken up against the cold. The only thing that cheered us was that their ids had not been taken. We too their phone numbers and left because we had the impression that so long as we were there the soldier on principle would not free them. Also the number of cars decreased and the soldiers started checking in two lanes. And truly when we phoned later it turned out that they had been freed almost immediately after we left. Yizhar CP. the souvenir shop…a rolling checkpoint. 4 cars from north to south. We did not stop.17.40 Hawarra. Very little traffic during all the shift and one detainee released 5 minutes after our arrival.But something shocking happened and we were not able to get all the details because the soldiers do care to get rid of the people in a great hurry as if the ground were burning under their feet. And we did not manage to take phone numbers. There were 3 detainees half sitting and half lying in the jorra. Each of them in a different corner, handcuffed and one without shoes. Relations stood wringing their hands and explained to us what had happened. Only after the affair and because of the difficulties of language did we understand that not all three men had been arrested together and therefore we did not ask the third why he was handcuffed. 2 were shepherds who had been grazing their sheep on Har Mamul under the settlement of Bracha but very much at a distance from the settlement. They had been arrested and brought to the checkpoint at 15.00 in handcuffs. The families had not been allowed to give them sweaters even though it was bitterly cold. Edna took the sweaters and put them on them. The third one in handcuffs said he had been there since 12.00 more than five and a half hours. His fingers were blue and swollen and he needed desperately to go to the toilet but the soldiers would not allow him to do so. We spoke to the soldiers but they would not answer us and even when we asked that his handcuffs be loosened somewhat they answered with a hostile shrug of the shoulders. The man said that they had hit and choked him and truly on his throat I could see the red marks in the shape of fingers and I photographed this. We phoned the humanitarian centre and the DCO and within 10 minutes 2 soldiers approached the three men and told them to get up. The barefoot man could not get up and the soldier from outside tried to pull him to his feet. The man screamed in pain and we with him. Another soldier went in and got him up and told the three of them to come with him including the one without shoes. Edna brought his shoes and helped him to put them on, The soldiers were horrified at the gesture. What ….that a Jewess should lower herself so? I followed the soldier who had taken two of them, the third was taken to the road and all of them in the direction of Nablus and still handcuffed. It was obvious that because of us they were being taken away and we were apprehensive that they would take them to another hidden place where they would abuse them more. One of the soldiers approached me inimically and said that I had crossed the line and that if I did not go back I would be imprisoned. I ignored him. I had no intention of leaving them alone with the soldiers. And then someone came with a knife and freed them and sent them in the direction of Nablus. Under no circumstances would they allow them to come in our direction which was actually their direction home. That they should not have the opportunity to speak to us. Their aunt ran after them and gave them money so that they should be able to get home in some way and said that the third man had also been freed. We took phone numbers from the relations so as to find out what happened to all three. One of the soldiers came to see what had happened to the clothes of the detainees and the aunt politely said that she had taken them to which he replied “Who spoke to you? Shut up.” Before we left an old man came up to us and said that one of the soldiers had hit him on his backside because he had called us “watcheriot” and this to us was suspicious as it is a term used for us by the army and not the Palestianians and also that the women soldier had stolen his soul…this seems to be a put up job by the soldiers who used this man who did not seem normal and who evidently hoped that we would call the DCO or their commanders and be made to look ridiculous. It reminds me of the story of the dog. It is better to be careful while this unit of monsters is on duty as they will stop at nothing in their fight against us.18.30 Beit Furik. 3 bored soldiers reading or praying. The checkpoint is open but neither car nor pedestrian arrived while we were there.18.50 Hawarra. On our way home we decided to stop again at Hawarra. The checkpoint was closed and when Edna alighted to check she found the soldiers sitting in their hut warming themselves while people from Nablus were waiting to go through and many cars were waiting from the direction of Nablus and from Hawarra. Immediately some soldiers went to start checking. We left and decided to go back and see what was happening. Lo and behold. The checkpoint was once again closed but as soon as Edna arrived it was opened.