Army wound dozens in Nablus, West Bank during last 10 days

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Wednesday November 12, 2003 08:35 by Aron Baker baker_aron at hotmail dot com Balatta Refugee camp, West Bank 087 2895036

My last week here, including the army incursions into Nablus

Normalising to the occupation, checkpoints, army incursions and the weather!

Balatta, Nablus
Tues 11/11/3

Just back from 1 week in media office and 1 night in Jeruaslem, a few beers and videos and most of a bottle of wine last night.
While traveling down to Jeruaslem from Nablus I realized partially how accustomed to the occupation I have become. I queue quietly at each checkpoint, hoping to make it through in less than an hour or so but often waiting (not today) for up to 3 hours. Getting to Zeattora checkpoint, where all Palestinians must get out, queue, cross the checkpoint and then find a different taxi, while Israeli cars and people don’t even stop, I start to queue, relieved that there is only about 10 people in the queue in front of me. When it comes to about my turn I walk forward, leaving a man and women and child who were trying to skip past me as they are often allowed to do, complaining behind me. Ignorant of me? I have seen several fights break out as people skip queues, desperate to pass the checkpoints and not waste half the day in these mundane and pointless queues. As I get up to the soldier he orders me to empty my rucksack, so as I squat down to empty it, my clothes I’m taking to Jeruaslem for the luxury of a machine wash, spill out onto the dusty ground and I keep my back to the queue so I feel less embarrassed as I hold up the queue while they search my bag, and relieved as I gauge that I will pass without a problem. The barrel of soldier’s gun is less than a foot from my nose, as on his gesture I can scoop up my clothes from the road.
I missed a lot while I was away from the camp which made me wish I was home in Balatta. The IOF have made many day time (or early morning stretching into day time) raids. They have put up earth mounds at some entrances, they have injured dozens, over the last 10 days here in Nablus, esp. in the camp, using both rubber bullets and live ammo and we think they have new plastic bullets as well, which they have tested on some of the internationals.
Today on arriving back, having an unusually easy time getting back, the IOF arrived at the entrance of the camp about 1pm. They arrived with approx. 3 jeeps, 1 humvee and a tank. They shot live ammo and rubber bullets, while the kids stoned the vehicles whenever possible, also throwing paint onto the humvee’s windscreen. For once we think there were mo injuries. The soldiers played a game of cat and mouse with the stone throwing boys, chasing them with the jeeps and taunting them. As they left for awhile a soldier took the opportunity to hop out and throw 2 smoke or tear gas bombs into the camp, away from the stone throwers into a residential area.
ISM activists stood in front of children and bystanders in n attempt to avoid injuries to these people.
The weather here has changed dramatically, getting cold and raining on and off all day. The buildings here in the camp aren’t designed or built to keep out much water and it is running down the stairwells. The houses have no insulation and if the rain continues I’m sure inside of the houses will get cold and very wet. The streets likewise are not designed to funnel away water meaning puddles everywhere.
Regards
Aron