RAMALLAH DIARY

Index of Diary Days: 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13

Day 11 As I am doing this as things happen, sometimes I forget relevant points, such as the fact that the incident with the bulldozer was in the pitch dark, greatly increasing the danger.

Anyway last night as we went to go to bed all hell broke loose, there was firing taking place in districts all around, some of it was clearly firefights between the Palestinians, and the Israeli Army. Army vehicles drove down our street. The shooting went on for hours.

When we got up in the morning we found the Israelis had replaced the barricades all around the camp. There is a clear attempt to create a prison, or more accurately a ghetto out of Balata Camp. These barriers don't just stop normal vehicles, but more importantly, the emergency services, ambulances and Fire Engines. This is clearly against international law, which places responsibility on occupying powers. There should be an international outcry against this, remember 18,000 people live in this very packed Camp. Anyway we proceeded to a new road block, and whist we were trying to see how heavy the blocks of stone were, some men in a garage came with iron bars, and helped to knock it down straight away.

We then moved to the road block barring the main street, which was now huge, but with much help, it took us about an hour and a half. We then moved to another one, and we were lucky a local man with a bulldozer knocked it down for us. Basically this meant that the camp was open again. Some others of us had gone on checkpoint duty on the main entrances to Nablus. One of those was completely closed, but the other was letting some people through.

Tony in front of Tel village.

Tonight I am off to sleep in a nearby village called Tell, the army had been round last night, and photographed 4 houses, which they usually do before they destroy them. I am going to sleep in one of those houses.