Beit Iba, Jit, Wed 3.10.07, Morning

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Observers: 
Netta A. Rina Z. (reporting)
Oct-3-2007
|
Morning

Natanya translating.

Summary: No checkpoint at the crossroads of Jit.

Two rolling checkpoints at the crossroads of road 60 with road 557 and at the entrance to Beit Lid against those coming to Chomesh.

Checkpoint of Beit Iba is horribly routine. Horit P., a veteran of Machsomwatch is amazed at the efficient and skillful way the checkpoint is handled. This is the great success of the occupation forces. Everything proceeds like a well oiled machine with everyone knowing exactly what to do and there is no need for the movement of a finger or a look for the conquered to act the rituals they are used to.

Checkpoint Jit: no soldiers.


Beit Iba:  6.55 – 8.30 

The car lane.  There are car lanes though not yet paved,. There is one lane at the entrance which leads directly to Kuchin as if this were a normal country but this lane is blocked ….who was the genius who organized this?

As in the last weeks few cars entering or exiting Nablus because of the problem of obtaining permits from the DCO  and to there are never more than 3-4 cars in any direction and this is in spite of the fact that the checking is slow and inefficient. 4 soldiers including 2 sergeants and a military policeman and all four check one car, taking advice from one another. Each driver gives his id and also his passengers, these are checked by phone, everything is checked, this includes ambulances which probably pass a few times each day and also a doctor who works in Qalqiliya and also passes each day.

Many buses today and the young people alight and go through the pedestrian lane and then wait for the bus on the others side and this takes 10 minutes. A woman with a babe in arms and a little girl of about 3 is forced to alight with her baggage and to go through the pedestrian lane. There was a sergeant who was more humane and sent her through without checking her and she goes to wait for the bus on the other side.

A large bus with large containers containing liquids is not allowed to pass to Nablus. The truck is Israeli and the driver says that the liquid is dangerous and therefore cannot go through the back to back at Awarta and he has a permit for Beit Iba. He says this is not in writing but the captain at the checkpoint knows about this and lets him pass. The sergeants will not let him pass or speak to us and tell him to turn around and so we conducted the conversation by phone. We asked the commander to try to check the matter with his superiors.  He refused. The driver says the company will arrange the matter with the DCO. A representative of the DCO arrives 15 minutes later at 7.30  and this was too late for him. We saw the dog tgrainer arrive and only one car being checked.

At the pedestrian lane the sergeant checks efficiently and most of those entering are students. Two soldiers check the young men, one the women and older men and one checks by phone anyone whose name comes up on the list. Even though now and again a crowd of people arrive, probably having alighted from a bus and everyone is in the checking area which is crowded with building materials which have not been in use for months they go through quickly and disappear. In humanitarian cases such a woman leading a blind person he sends them through without checking.

A woman of about 50 arrives with a Jordanian passport but no visa or id and says she is on her way to the hospital in Nablus. She is not allowed to pass but we bring in the DCO representative and he says this time and only this time he will let her through,.