HUWWARA,BEIT IBA, Tuesday 29 June 2004 AM Observers: Rivka A, Yona A, Nurit V, Yael P, Etty P (reporting) colour = red>08:15 Huwwara SouthThere were 10 people in line, and no cars Although there were two detainees, it was so quiet that we moved to the northern section. 08:20 –Huwwara North Here we found eight confiscated taxis and seven detainees who said they’d already been here for two hours. There were 20 people and about 10 cars waiting. A paramedic en route to a Jerusalem hospital for a course was interrogated and went through.A van loaded with tires was directed to the commercial checkpoint because it couldn’t be checked here. The District Co-ordinating Office (DCO) representative, A., helped a driver conveying sacks of clothing to go through and told him to bring his goods through in two loads to make the checking easier, which was considerate on his part [the DCO is the section of the army that handles civilian matters and usually has representatives at the checkpoints, ostensibly to alleviate the lot of the Palestinians.]We tried to speed up the checking of detainees and their number dropped to four.An ambulance with its siren wailing arrived , but 2nd Lt. G. was checking a cart with suitcases and bags very slowly and thoroughly. When he finished, he called a soldier to cover him while he checked the ambulance. Inside was a little girl hooked up to an IV drip, going to Jordan for treatment for leukemia. When we asked why the ambulance had to wait so long, G. replied angrily that there were things we didn’t know. In fact, the soldier whom G. had detailed to cover for him had been eating and didn’t see why he should interrupt his meal. To do G. justice, he had ordered the soldier to stop eating for a while, but, out of inexperience, he himself simply hadn’t dared to stop the checking of the cart and give the ambulance priority.The soldiers were very polite to the Palestinians, and a woman soldier even apologized to a woman who didn’t have the required documents. There was a relaxed atmosphere, proof that one can remain humane and courteous even as one holds an aimed weapon. But there was no shade for the Palestinians or for the soldiers, which probably affected the atmosphere later in the day.09:50 – Documents were finally returned and three of the detainees were released. Two were sent back to Nablus and one went through to the DCO. Detainees were seated on benches with their backs to the checkpoint. The DCO representative promised to speed up the checks [ carried out by the General Security Services (GSS or, from the Hebrew acronym, Shabak or Shin Bet) which cross-checks the detainees’ ID details against its own list of security suspects]. A family from Jordan with Jordanian papers and permit went through after A. translated for them.10:15 Huwwara South There were four detainees, and 40 waiting in line. Traffic flowed quietly and without tension. I was happy to meet the cold-drinks vendor who was abused a month ago by Sgt. M. and had his hands tied for hours. He told us happily that “they’ve gone” (i.e. M. and the soldier who harassed him). The new soldiers find nothing wrong with him, so much for the connection between keeping a man’s hands tied up like that and the security of the Sate of Israel…10:45 Beit Iba There were eight cars in line, but no pedestrians either at the entry or the exit. Lt. M. explained that local people were observing three days of mourning for the wanted men killed by the Israeli forces on Saturday and today was the last day. The four detainees said they’d been waiting four hours. One said he went through to Nablus this morning from Huwwara and now the soldiers wouldn’t let him back in. M. explained that he must have gone through the hills or ‘slipped’ by the checkpoint. According to M., the man was claiming to have gone via Huwwara so that he would not be challenged as to which soldier had checked him at Beit Iba. The detainees , including this man, were released soon. 11:10 – There were about 20 people waiting in line at the entrance but they went through rapidly. The line of trucks also moved quickly. .