Huwwara,Monday, 16.10.2006, afternoonObservers and reporters: Miki, Hagit F., Osnat W. (guest)Marda and Zeita checkpoints are open.Za’tara intersection – There is one lorry and a few cars there.Izhar Intersection is free.Huwwara – the commander of the checkpoint greets us with a smile: “the three watch ladies”. In this shift everything happens in an unbearable way. The usual. Waiting time in line is one-two hours, depends on whom one asks. Everyone complains on the long unacceptable time that they spend in the checkpoint. They complained that it is MP women soldiers who stand in front of the men who raise their shirts and open their belts. They only check IDs, we were told. An elderly woman asks the commander of the checkpoint to advance her son, since she suffers from leg problems and cannot stand (and wait for him until he passes). He offers her a chair but she does not accept. She wants her son and not the chair. When the son arrives he tells us that he had been waiting for over two hours. We asked again to accelerate the tempo of the checkup. The commander claims that the soldiers are busy, in addition to the checkup, in securing themselves. Is this the reason why the soldier is aiming his submachine gun to the head of the person he checks?Very thorough checkups are done in the taxis leaving Nablus, to the passengers who get off the cars and wait outside the taxi by the “humanitarian point”.A young man with a broken leg passes without waiting in line. “Thank you” he says, goes forwards and adds, “It all sucks”. He changes directions, and goes back to where he had come from.Five youngsters caught in the hills are arrested. Their IDs are taken from them. Begging does not help, and neither do the fast (Ramadan) not exams. They are being held in the shed for two hours. They are all students. Beit Furik –Lorries with merchandise are being sent back since this checkpoint is not for merchandise. One can only transfer them ‘back to back’. The drivers complain that they are demanded to take apart the inside parts of the car-doors, what slows down the tempo of the checkups. On the other hand, the line for the cars waiting to get in is ten- cars- long, and the drivers say the waiting time is twenty minutes.A van driver who is heading to Nablus is demanded to take apart, and after he argues, and actually has no choice, he takes out a screwdriver and takes the plastic apart.Miki calls the humanitarian center in order to find out if there really is such a command. They promise go get back to us. They have no answer even after the third time we call. We think that it is an arbitrary decision of the commander in this checkpoint. Back to Huwwara. There are three more ‘drippers’. They are being held for ‘only’ an hour.