Jalama, Shaked, Rihan, Wednesday, April 6, 2005, AMObservers: Sandra R., Lea R. (reporting)06:00 – Jalama checkpointThe CP was due to open at 5 a.m, but 6, people were not going through. Within a few minutes the process began. One soldier crosses, together with us, to the Palestinian side. We found there a large group of men and women, warming their bones around a bonfire. They said the gate is never open on time. People start arriving as early as 3 a.m. They told us that on their way over, they go by another checkpoint, which is for vehicles and they just bypass it, walking through the fields. Some of them encountered a soldier, who threatened that if he saw them again bypassing the CP, he’d shoot them.That soldier said that if the checkpoint is closed in the morning, people can go through the vehicle passage on the road. We asked if he was absolutely positive about that, and he said yes. I asked one of the Palestinians for his telephone number, and called him the following day, to confirm that information. His answer was no. 07:30 – Shaked gateThe school children had gone through. A woman with two children arrived, escorted by her husband. The husband was allowed to goto the Palestinian side and the wife was denied. She said she would go later, through Rihan.07:45 – Rihan checkpointVery few people. One of them is a grandfather with his two granddaughters, He has an entrance permit to Israel. But he wasn’t allowed in with the girls, and instead was sent to Jalama. The girls live in Barta’a. The grandfather called the family in Barta’a and they came for the girls. One of them cried, not wanting to part with the grandfather, but he had to leave, with tears in his eyes. I wanted to talk to the CP Commander but he refused, and we were unable to be of any help.Older women and a man with a girl wanted to go to Barta’a. They were sent to Jalama, but after a while they were allowed to through at Rihan. I have no idea how they actually managed to do so.There was one detainee at the closed pen. Sandra tried talking with him, but the soldier didn’t let her stand there and scolded her.At 09:30, we ended our shift, and left the checkpoint.