Hebron, Sansana (Meitar Crossing), South Hebron Hills, Tue 2.4.13, Morning

At 7:30 an the Meitar checkpoint is clear but many workers are waiting on the Israeli side for their transport. Two luxurious buses are also waiting, presumably for prisoners' families (from information received the process of check visitors at the Sharon women's prison has been tightened and the visiting time thus reduced. (See: Women`s Organization for Political Prisoners (WOFPP)

 www.wofpp.org                             ). 

Hebron and K Arba are dozing in a post-Pesach stupor. New banners invite participation in the settlement adventure. We want to visit the boy's school and maybe meet one or two the little guys who were arrested last week ( Btselem report 20/03/2013)  but the school is off on an outing. At the Pharmacy checkpoint a Druze officer is more or less friendly while his Jewish colleague looks grim. A shiny white vehicle pulls up with an officer and cohorts, smiling broadly he tells us that only internationals are permitted to observe at the checkpoint and we are holding up the traffic.  Netanya points down the deserted street and asks whether he thinks this is Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv.  Back in Beer Sheva the Palestinian prisoner  Maiseer Abu Hamtsa  died of cancer this morning in Soroka hospsital, which may account for the strange assertion of the Border Policeman in anticipation of possible protests, which according to the press do indeed occur.  However, we see no reinforcements of  army or police so this is just a guess, fired by hindsight (no pun intended!).