Huwarra

Huwwara South and North 27 February ‏2005Watchers: Yael B, Ditza Y. Reporting: DitzaAlmost 8:00 a.m.Tapuach Junction – about 30 vehicles are parked.8:10 a.m.Yitzhar Junction – 18 vehicles are waiting at the crossing.8:15 a.m.Huwwara South Traffic sparse and moving quickly. There are almost no checks on those crossing, some of whom seem surprised. No one is held up.An elderly man who can hardly walk: he is accompanied by a young man who is supporting him. We wonder: how will he make it to the taxis which are parked behind the northern roadblock which is a way off. Fortunately an ambulance arrived. After he is checked we ask the driver to take the old man and he does so.8:45 a.m.Huwwara North 5 are held up. A Military Policeman shouts at them. We approach to find out what is going on. “You have just arrived here – and there is already a mess”. We don’t understand what mess we have caused and those held up are completely quiet. Obviously we get no explanation from the soldier. 3 of those held up are sent back to Nablus as they have no permit.The soldiers are quite tense after the terrorist act on Friday. They have no problem in sending Palestinians back to Nablus.9:00 a.m.One of those held up complains that he has been standing since 8 a.m. The soldier we approach claims he has been standing for ten minutes. In the end both he and the other person held up are sent back to Nablus.A young man of 19 who has a permit and who wants to get to Ramallah where he works is not allowed to cross. After we intervene to draw the soldiers’ attention to the fact that he has a permit, he is allowed on his way.A young man without a permit but who has been allowed to go through on a daily basis to his work in Ramallah is told to go back to Nablus. The representative of the D.C.O. who is supposed to be on site is not there – we contact Ra’ad, but he does not reply. Our approach to the D.C.O. is answered and they try to be of help. They take the details of the young man – but the call was cut off. A soldier, who was not in favour of us trying to help, demanded that the man return to Nablus and that we distance ourselves from the road block. The man went off and then the D.C.O. representative arrived. The D.C.O. called him and it appears that he was given a directive to allow the young man to leave Nablus – except that the man was no longer there and we were left frustrated and indignant.The truck which carries out the checks was not there, instead a soldier checks the bags of those leaving. A woman with a baby in her arms and holding a small girl by her hand comes through. She has to open her bag with her other hand. Not a heart-warming show. At least the soldier, Roy, in this inhumane situation is humane and helps her to fasten her bag.The traffic fairly heavy at the road block and the number of those crossing is constant. Sometimes it is sluggish due to the drawn out and strict checks today, and sometimes it flows. Usually about 40 people are crowded around the carousels.9:45 a.m.Two are held up. One of them a student bound for Ramallah, where he is doing research, he has no permit and has to retrace his steps.10:00 a.m.No one is held up.10:15 a.m.A young man who wants to get to the hospital in Ramallah: he holds a medical document with the diagnosis of his illness but he has no referral to the hospital. He is not allowed through. Even Dalia Bassa, who we called for help, is unable to do anything as he has no referral.A father and his son of 20 need to get to the hospital in Ramallah. They are not allowed to cross, but after we approach Hasson the representative of the D.C.O., he lets them go through and Aya, a Military Policewoman at the checkpoint who is efficient and humane, saw to it that the next roadblock is informed so that they should not be stopped there.One of the soldiers, under orders from the commander of the roadblock, ensured that we did not talk to the soldiers. (It should be pointed out that this order did not help particularly and the soldiers did talk to us.)10:45 a.m.One person, whose father is waiting for his release, is allowed to go after a few minutes in the lock-up.A cable is stretched across the roadblock to stop cars crossing. We stand beside it. The soldiers lower it when a car is allowed to cross. A soldier approaches and sees that the cable is lowered, he turns to us remonstrating: “Who let the cable down?” I ask: “Do you think I did it?” The soldier: “I don’t know what to think.”11:00 a.m.We leave the roadblock.On our way back to Huwwara South we come across a huge sign beside the settlers’ road which leads from Huwwara South to the right:Yosef Yeshiva lives GaliniHuron Visitors’ Centre Ve’avitaThe Land of Schem Nifla’otIn the name of those who fell inthe battles for the Land of Schem and itsenvirons The Lord Will Avenge His Blood MetortechaThis sign is in army territory.11:05 a.m.Huwwara South No one is held up. Very few crossing the roadblock.We leave the roadblock.11:45 a.m.On our way, there are about 15 cars waiting at Tapuach Junction.