Mundane life and collective punishments in and around Nablus, West Bank

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Sunday November 23, 2003 13:43 by Aron Baker baker_aron at hotmail dot com Balatta refugee camp, West Bank

Report of recent events in Asira town, Nablus and Huwarra checkpoint.

2 nights ago the army came to Balata camp at around 2-2:30 am. I awoke to the sound of sirens and thought I was in Asira listening to a new low in the army's presence there, declaring curfew. As my mind cleared and I remembered I was in Balatta I heard a loud explosion, everyone in the room heard it.
We wondered what it was, a house demolition? A tank shell? A bomb? Later after several hours wondering it turned out to be of IOF origin, maybe a grenade thrown in the street. They proceeded to shoot around the camp, throw sound grenades, switch on and off their sirens, shout over their loudspeakers etc.
We could account for 3 jeeps and a tank but there may have been more. After 1/2 hour of this they pulled up outside our house, 2 jeeps. We all cowered away from the windows, as looking out even a closed window can get you shot. They beat on our neighbours door opposite forced the family out onto the street.
The situation was very tense, we talked over going out, some willing, some unwilling, some sort of on the fence, myself included, fear of being shot before being identified fueling my and our hesitation.
Eventually they moved further down the street, beating on more doors and I assume forcing more families out on to the street, possibly looking for some man they deem wanted, but none to be found. After about 1 1/2 hours they left and we all breathed easier, daring once again to look out of the windows without the paralyzing fear of being shot by some nervous trigger happy teenager in IOF uniform.

Yesterday the army and border police finally seems to have lifted curfew in Asira, after approx 10-12 days, with only about 3 3-4 hours temporary lifts of the curfew which people used to access food and get medicine etc. There are we believe a growing number of people who need hospital attention there, but still they cannot leave the town as the army hovers on the exits, keeping everyone inside the town. People such as dialysis patients etc.
2 nights ago they finally did something other than impose curfew, arresting 4 men at about 5:30 am, taking them from there homes. Its quite possible to get prison time for throwing stones at jeeps or tanks, however whet these men did I don't know.
The last day it was imposed was the last Friday of Ramadan and many Muslims go to the mosque to pray all night, Thursday night, but the army went to each mosque in Asira, and shot around them, so nobody risked attempting to go there.
On Friday many men snuck to the mosque for the 11 o'clock service, we stood outside waiting for the army to appear, I was surprised to see several dozen pairs of shoes in view, not realizing that many people had risked it. We expected the army to come down but it didn't, prayers ended very quickly, then the men began to stream out, I was astonished as I watched atleast 300-400 men exit the biggest mosque. We passed up the street to the centre of town where 2 jeeps waited. The men streamed past the jeeps as they lamely called, "Curfew, curfew," but made no attempt to intervene, briefly checking 2 IDs.
As the men headed home the 2 jeeps left town altogether, a minor victory perhaps.
The previous day we had agreed to help the schools open but the Israeli occupation force arrived early and terrorized people with gunfire and sound grenades and so nobody attempted to send their children to school. Yesterday was the first day of school in 10-12 days.
A women asked us to go to the new checkpoint between Asira and Tullaza to help get her daughter, who was being held their, while they checked IDs by radio, which typically takes several hours. We arrived around 3 to find 7 or 8 men being detained and several vehicles. The soldiers said not only could they not pass but could also not return, as they had declared the road closed also. As 5 o'clock came, the time to break fast we fetched water and they shared whatever they had to eat, wafers I think. S darkness fell we lit a fire to keep warm, the soldiers eventually realizing most people after 3-5 hours, but kept 2 men. The soldiers prepared to leave, ( because after 6:30 its no longer a security risk to pass here?) then left, taking the 2 IDs with them.
After returning for food we waited with 1 of the men, the other risked going away without his ID, we sat around the meager fire, fetched wood and drank the bottle of tea we brought. After dark 1/2 dozen people walked by heading towards home in Asira, business men with brief cases, other workers carrying supplies from Nablus for their families, all hurrying dreading the consequences of being caught out there in the dark by the army.
We made a few calls to try and get the IDs returned to no avail. Eventually a jeep came down, we thought with the IDs, from the base overlooking Nablus about 8 or 8:30, stopping in surprise at our presence. We tried to explain about the IDs but the soldier just kept replying "so", as in so what and soon drove off, driving 1/2 mile down the road, followed by the soldiers shooting outside a farmhouse, I think they were after some vehicles which had past by, 1 towing another. They returned half an hour later empty handed, driving straight past us and back to the base.
At 10:30 or so we left, without getting either ID back, agreeing to meet at 8am but curfew was intense the following morning and despite the fact the amn we waited with lived in Talluza he didn't want to risk coming back for his ID, being without your ID can carry a 6 month prison sentence, hints of other regimes?
In the afternoon we went down with an Israeli who was working with us that day to enquire after the Ids but the roadblock was no longer manned by soldiers so once again we left empty handed. The men missing their IDs effectively house bound.

Yesterday we did checkpoint watch at Huwarra checkpoint, as hundreds attempted to go home to celebrate the end of Ramadan. 8 taxis stood impounded, for atleast 1 day, people queued, around 200 or more at any 1 time, but about 50-100 arriving every 5-15 minutes.
Detained men stood in the sun, 1 requiring medical attention as the effects of the sun and fasting took their toll and he was taken away by ambulance, 1 of the ones queueing to leave. Despite the large number of people waiting the queue was moving better than it often is but 1 soldier in particular was being difficult. He sauntered around young looking and immature, his position and gun clearly giving him a power trip. He shouted at people, threatened people, pushed and screamed. I watched as he knocked his megaphone, which he had been using to shout at people, off a concrete barricade, the batteries popping out, he instantly turned to the nearest Palestinian man to him and started screaming at him, terrifying the mans young daughter before sending them to the back of the queue.
All men who attempted to leave but didn't qualify for leaving were made to wait detained to 1 side by this soldier. Today we are told people with village ID couldn't exit because they claimed they must have snuck in!! And only men over 35, women and children were allowed to pass. I watched the soldier with no self control heatbutt 1 Palestinian with his helmet but it seemed more a warning. We negiotiated with the soldiers to little avail. I watched as a children's blanket got snagged on barbed wire, and as a small child struggled along the narrow ledge for passing by grabbing the barbed wire for balance.
Many soldiers tell us this is the most humane army in the world.