Huwwara North & South

Huwwara south & north 23.1.2005, AMObservers: Shelly M, Shirili and Ditza Y, (reporting) 7.50 – south Freezing cold. A large number of soldiers, few people at the checkpoint. One detainee, who waits five minutes.8.10 – north Here too a large number of soldiers, and almost no pedestrians.2 detainees who say they’ve been there since 6 am and 7 am respectively. The commander claims they’ve been waiting less than an hour (which is also too long in this cold weather).8.20 -2 detainees without permits were sent back to Nablus. Another young man wants to visit his sister in a nearby village because of the festival – he has no permit and is not allowed through. (The DCO Nablus is closed today and permits are obtainable only at Qalqiliya).8.40 – south A Palestinian who wants to enter Nablus. His son, born prematurely, is in hospital there and is being transfused. The father says all his blood had to be replaced. He has no ID – he says it was confiscated three months ago at Gitit checkpoint, because it was claimed he tried to evade the checkpoint – which he denies. He approached the DCO two weeks ago and was given the runaround – he was sent to Jericho, from there to Nablus but hasn’t succeeded in getting his ID back. This time he came with someone else’s ID which had lapsed – anyhing in order to see his baby son. The commander was patient towards him, but would not let him through. We tried to contact Dalia Basa and the humanitarian hotline but reached recorded messages (Dalia called back after 3 hours when it was no longer relevant). We eventually discoverede that his ID was in Jericho and sent him there.9.30 –north 2 Israeli Arabs who were visiting Nablus for the festival were checked at the checkpoint. They entered Nablus several days ago through Beit Iba checkpoint and then they and other Israelis were allowed through. Now they are being detained. – the man for 25 minutes and a woman with a baby of less than two, about an hour and a half. Her husband, whe works in the French consulate, was taken this morning by the army, she doesn’t know why, hasn’t heard from him and doesn’t know where he is. She summoned her brother to take her and the baby. He arrived and was also detained for half an hour. A lieutenant colonel arrived and when we asked him why Israeli Arabs were being detained, he told the commander that he was not obliged to explain it to us, and told us that we could complain in writing and that he supported his men and had told them to ignore us.It is very cold and people with babies in arms have to walk the long distance between the checkpoints.10.10 – south 2 detainees without passage permit. One of them, who works in a Nablus hospital, says he goes through every day without problems. We appeal to the commander who says he’s decided to check him today but releases them both after a few minutes.2 women, one carrying a baby, on their way to Nablus. They have no permits and are not allowed to pass. The same for a 15-year-old boy who wants to to visit Nablus with his two small brothers, and a young man with a Saudi passport who wants to enter Nablus for an hour or two to visit his parents and offers to leave his passport as deposit – but is sent back.11.00 – we left the checkpoint.On our way back, an unannounced checkpoint at Jit. The police. Several cars parked there.