Morning

With not a single Palestinian in sight at El-Khadr roadblocks + junction we headed straight on through the settler-only roads, passing Etzion checkpoint, then al-Arroub camp, until we reached Beit-Omar checkpoint. Almost all the yellow plated transits and busses that were previously allowed to travel and carry passengers within the Hebron and Bethlehem districts are now off the roads. At the Etzion checkpoint, a group of some 12 detainees whose IDs were confiscated earlier that morning were waiting close to the military post. All of them were from Yata village, south of Hebron, their ages ranging between 20 and 40. This was the first day they attempted to reach their workplace in Beitar Ilit - all work for the same contractor - after having spent the last three weeks (following the ambush) at home. They started their journey at 4 am, reached Etzion junction around 6 am, and started looking for transportation, but in vain - no transits or buses came by. We began pleading with the soldiers. The current orders forbid Palestinians from any other district to enter the Bethlehem region, and therefore these men are treated like any other suspects. As we pleaded with the soldiers, a group of approximately 50 or 60 Palestinians were approaching Etzion by foot from the Al-Arroub road (south of the junction). Their bus driver was forced to drop them off at a 'safety distance' from the checkpoint. Almost all men were stone-cutters who work at the Beit-Fajar stone-cutting workshops. But, orders are orders, and the IDF will not let these stone-cutters violate them. By that time, the IDs of the Yatatwa had undergone the security check, and were about to be returned to their harassed owners. All will receive their IDs, except for two, who would be summoned for an interrogation with the Shabak. (secret service). Approximately twenty minutes later they called to report that their IDs were returned (no shabak, no interrogation).