HUWWARA, BEIT IBA, Tuesday 29 June 2004 PMObservers: Edna K., Petahya, Ruhama S., Ada R. (reporting) and Avishag, a guest colour = red>We saw no sudden checkpoints en route to our destination, but on our way back, at the junction to Anabta, we saw that the metal block had been moved forward to the junction, and that it was manned; but it’s very likely that this new checkpoint was dismantled within a few hours.HuwwaraThere were many taxis waiting for passengers, but relatively few wanted to go to Nablus and only a comparatively small number were waiting at the exit.Huwwara South The soldiers were almost welcoming and mostly courteous. The detainees were young men between 16-30 without permits: students, patients and people wanting to visit family. There were only four waiting when we arrived, perhaps because it’s a mourning period and there’s nothing to do in Nablus or because they’re in mourning themselves [for those killed in the Israel army’s recent incursions into Nablus]. We asked the soldiers and they told us they only send ID details for checking [ to be cross-checked against a central list of security suspects compiled and maintained by the General Security Services (GSS, or Shabak, or Shin Bet)] when they have five cards, and this in compliance with the GSS’s demand [until the GSS phone back the results to the checkpoint, and this can take some considerable time, the detainees are virtually prisoners there and their ID documents are held by the soldiers].We received permission to move a young man with a wounded head and no hat into the shade away from the soldiers. A fifth detainee arrived and the names were sent off. The detainees were released before we left and the young man we’d helped came to thank us.. I felt uncomfortable at being thanked for such an elementary act.Huwwara North There were several detainees sitting in the blazing sun, backs to the checkpoint and a soldier standing with a sub-machinegun aimed at them about three metres away. They had to sit like that so that they couldn’t gather information about the working of the checkpoint (!) The soldier said: “Everyone’s a terrorist, unless there’s proof he isn’t”. We told him that the detainees weren’t being charged, but merely detained, so we were allowed to talk to them., Edna photographed them but the soldier refused to let his weapon appear in the picture. Most of the detainees were released before we left.Beit Iba Beit Iba – It was very quiet on this, the third day of mourning for murdered [Palestinian] leaders and also the third day of a general strike [in the Palestinian Authority]. There were only few detainees and there was more shade than at Huwwara North. At this checkpoint, ID details were sent to the GSS for checking one by one. Most detainees waited about an hour to an hour-and-a-half before being released and all were released when we left. There were about 15-17 trucks in line. The drivers said they’d been waiting an hour , but that was alright compared to other times. Yet the whole checkpoint isn’t “alright”, it’s illegal, and not intended for security purposes, but to make life miserable. The commander was pleasant, patient and understood the inhumanity of the situation but said he had to operate according to instructions. Because of the sparse traffic, the soldiers were relaxed and humane: some were settlers, members of the National Religious Party etc, as was the commander himself. He requested that we talk to him and not to the soldiers.