Huwwara

Huwwara, Thursday 30.11.06 PMObservers and reporters : Shalva K, Shoshana Z, Yardena T.Jit junction. 20 cars from North to South – the checking is fast.14.20 Huwwara checkpoint. A long line of cars in the Nablus direction. One of the drivers claims he has waited for an hour.About 60 pedestrians are waiting, one checker, there is a big crush and high pressure, the line moves slowly. The humanitarian line is not operating due to a repair to the turnstile.. There is a lot of pressure, children crying, angry women. Many soldiers present and an infuriating lack of efficiency.. Following our request, the women are directed to the vehicle access road, which causes the cars to be held up and now the drivers are shouting.16.00 - A young man is suspected of trying to smuggle a pipe bomb through the checkpoint. Most of the soldiers leave the checkpoint and run. They push the young man into an open field (see photograph), with drawn guns as if they are about to shoot him. They tell him to undress. In the meantime, all the traffic is held up, including 3 buses carrying children.. Everyone is looking at the field, women are praying, the atmosphere is tense and very frightening (including abuse at us). The young man is taken to the detainees’ shed. The explosives experts arrive, operate a robot (unsuccessfully), and then explode the charge remotely with a fuse. The young man is handcuffed and taken to the prison cell.