Closure is in effect. Only
blue IDs, schoolchildren and “humanitarian” cases are
allowed passage. in A-Ram a group of 7-9 doctors and staff of
Mukassed hospital are detained, because the date on their permits
is not in order. By the time authorization for them to pass is
received by phone, most of them have disappeared, probably looking
for alternative ways to get on to work. Otherwise, very few
pedestrians and cars.

Qalandya is more crowded, but things move smoothly. The
officer greets us politely. Suddenly there is what seems to us to
be an alert. All movement is blocked, and the soldiers act quite
hysterically. No one seems to understand what’s going on, and the
tension is high. but it turns out to be just a little
“exercise” that lasts for about ten minutes. Soon routine
is restored.

A young man (in his twenties) from Anata went the
previous day to visit some relatives in Ramallah, and could not
return. His father got very irate, and as a result the son’s ID was
taken for “checking”. By then the father gave up, and
just asked for the ID to be returned. After 20 minutes the ID it
was, the son went back to Ramallah and the father returned alone to
Anata.