Hebron, South Hebron Hills, Mon 29.6.09, Morning

Road 35
From Tarqumiya to Hebron: traffic is heavier than usual.
The Bridge Crossing: the route to Hebron is open and there's traffic in both directions. 

South Mount Hebron:
We went as south as Hirbat Tawanni today, where we meet Saber. We were glad to see the newly paved road, although it is still not complete and does not quite reach the highway. Saber says that the children next to us are excited because they've never seen asphalt before... he reports that the civil admin. put up electricity, but there's still no water supply, because they cannot be connected to the pipe leading water to the settlement Ma'on. "Yesh Din" (Hebrew for "Law/Justice obtains" – Israeli civil right NGO) are trying to help out.In the tiny, half-empty grocery, there are a few vegetables from Jericho and some basic ingredients. No milk products, because everyone around here grows sheep. 

Road 60
En route back north – the entry to Bnei Naim is open, westwards – to Hebron – shut.  

Hebron
Many paratroopers at the checkpoints and anyway, next to the Patriarchs' Tombs' cave there is some incident creating a sort of congestion. On the lawns, groups of Jewish children with a teacher?/guide? Perhaps a summer program? Many signposts: "prayer and outcry at the Kotel."
Hadassah house: quiet. No one to be seen.
Shouhada St., Tarpat CP, Tel-Rumeidah CP: paratroopers, they stop no one; in the streets, mainly women and children.
Pharmacy CP: no traffic. In the new, and rather empty grocery store, the owner's 11 year old grandson tells us in a pretty good Hebrew (which he learned from his friend in Kiryat Arba, as we learn…) that his father is in detention for six months already.
A relatively quiet day.