Beit Iba, Tue 29.7.08, Morning

Beit Iba  07:30 – 08:30

We observed a line of about 15 people during most of the hour we watched.  From time to time a large number of people arrive who've gotten off a bus.  The soldiers, without talking much, notice, and another soldier immediately comes over to direct the women so  they don't  have to wait.  No crowding or jams.  It seems that the "facelift" the checkpoint underwent last year did away with the humanitarian line.  It is blocked by an improvised barrier.  The women, in traditional dress, have to push through the youths and men waiting on line in order to pass through without being checked.  The DCO representative noticed the crowded line and removed the improvised barrier to allow the women and men to pass through to their destination relatively quickly.

Those leaving Nablus are busy buckling their belts and putting their shoes back on.  It's always embarrassing, being forced to publicly dress yourself, this personal activity requiring concentration – putting a belt through the loops and buckling it.