AM

BEIT IBA, HUWWARA, Wednesday 12 May 2004 AMObservers: Michal P.S., Orit B., Shalva C., Keren S., Hanna A. (reporting) colour =red>We passed through the Irtah checkpoint, south of Tulkarm – Jubara. It is unclear whether the work being done there is part of the archeological dig now under way there, or whether it is connected to the checkpoint. There were almost no cars. We drove on to the Anabta checkpoint east of Tulkarm.. At this checkpoint, Palestinians change buses (we often encounter them at the unannounced checkpoints at the Jit junction and other places west of the Beit Iba checkpoint) for taxis or make their way on foot to Tulkarm.On the way to Beit Iba we met a truck driver whose truck was confiscated four days ago with its merchandise. When he came to release it he discovered that the merchandise had disappeared. We encouraged him to submit a complaint.08:00 – Beit Iba: Men under 35 are not allowed into Nablus. In order to receive a permit they are required to go to the District Coordinating Office (DCO) [the army section that attends to civilian matters; it usually has representatives at the checkpoints, ostensibly to alleviate the lot of the Palestinians] near Huwwara, but they lack permits allowing them to go there. An appeal to one of the soldiers to enable people to enter was answered with: “Let them go round ” [i.e. slip around the checkpoint illegally and rish being caught with ll that that can entail].One of the men waiting picked up on this and said: “Why, so they can shoot me?” The soldiers explained that the situation is such that those waiting will not be allowed through. They know "these people" and "all their tricks". In order to get a permit, the waiting men need letters from their places of employment confirming that they are working there. In other words, a man needs a specific reason which is acceptable to the occupation authorities. People are being deprived of the basic right of free movement to visit friends, sit in cafes, window shop…activities which in other parts of the planet are considered so self-evident that nobody would even contemplate stopping another human being from carrying them out. N., one of those on duty, nonetheless took into consideration “humanitarian cases.”The reactions of A. (yet another soldier here) to the people passing through were callous: An elderly man passes: “Yalla!” accompanied by a wave of the hand. To another man, who wants to go through for medical reasons, he says: “Get out of here!” with another crude wave of the hand.10:40 – Huwwara: the B’tselem shift hands over. Among the detainees is a teacher from Jaffa, with an Israeli ID card , who's been there since 06:30. Israeli police who were summoned did nothing and left him to the soldiers. At 10:50 he was released.11:10 – There was an unannounced checkpoint on the road through Huwwara between Sarra and Yitzhar, with about 15 trucks on each side. While we were talking to the soldiers, one of them removed his helmet and said, almost shouting: “Look at me. I'm just a kid !”11:20 -- Another unannounced checkpoint at the Immatin-Far’ata junction.