The day before Memorial Day. The curfew is still on, since the beginning of Pesach. 6.30 AM – About 20 women and six men are standing on the other side of the checkpoint. The commander says that they crossed outside of the checkpoint. so their IDs have been taken, and they are held waiting. He said it was his decision, and the cards would be held for quite a few hours. “How many?” we asked. “None of your business”. These detainess told us that they had been waiting since 5.30 AM. They had left their homes at 3.00 AM, and wished to get back to their small children and families. “The Israel Army Humanitarian Center” sided with the commander. “They must be taught a lesson not to cross at any other point except the checkpoint”. Eventually the commander somehow softened and said that at 8.00 AM he would return the cards, and he did.6.40 AM – Shooting was heard in the area. Apparently some kind of training.7.15 AM – An ambulance arrived from the direction of Tulkarm. The driver was asked to stop and get off the vehicle. He had to show his ID card and the ambulance was searched from all sides and then let go towards Nablus.7.20 AM – Another ambulance arrived and treated as above.7.25 AM – A lorry from Tulkarm arrived, and was searched as above. An elderly man with a Palestinian ID card wants to pass the checkpoint. He is sent back. An elderly women from the Palestinian side with an Israeli ID card is allowed to pass the checkpoint. We are told that because of the closure, no one with a Palestinian ID may pass the checkpoint.7.45 AM – An Israeli Palestinian woman wants to pass the checkpoint with two big sacks of wheat grains. She is stopped and rudely told, in Arabic, that she cannot pass. She offers to open the sacks for inspection, and is finally let through. 7.50 AM – Several Israeli Palestinians – men and women – are allowed to pass the checkpoint to Palestinian villages that are not under curfew.8.00 AM – A group of children, aged 9 – 14, with plastic bags, approach from the Palestinian side. They are told, from the distance, to turn back. The children tell us that they are from the refugee camp in Tulkarm, and that the soldiers sometimes throw away their bags, “as punishment”. The children help their families to provide for daily food. he taxi drivers waiting for passengers on the Palestinian side told us that when there is no curfew, about 600 people cross the checkpoint every day in each direction. They also told us that sometimes the soldiers take their ID cards on the pretext that they, the drivers, are not allowed to stand there. Sometimes they even slash their tires. During our shift, Israeli lorries went into the designated area to unload their goods. Israeli cars from settlements on the West Bank passed through the checkpoint to Israel.