Mornng

Arriving at Etzion checkpoint at around 7.20, we noticed the near absence of Palestinians and continued directly to Beit Omar junction, approximately 3 kms to the south of Etzion. The Palestinian home, right at the junction (overlooking south and north) which was taken over by the army to serve as military post, has now been replaced by a watch tower . Returning to Etzion checkpoint, we spotted a group of some 25 detainees, standing outside the fence to the east of the military post. They were caught in an "ambush", while trying to cross/bypass through the thin forest, and their IDs were confiscated. Palestinians - workers, students, patients, teachers, of all ages and both sexes - are not allowed to move from the Hebron district to the Bethlehem district. No buses, no cabs, no pedestrians, nothing. The commander at the checkpoint ordered his soldiers not to speak with us, commenting that we once insulted one of his officers, and warning us not to step forward and enter "his checkpoint". The Palestinians approached the commander and soldiers, one at a time, pleading to be let through. Among them were men and woman students from Abu Dis college, a professor from that college, and laborers and professionals who work in Bethlehem. Pleas of the detainees and of university teacher and male students were rejected; female students were refused at first and then allowed to pass.We left Etzion for El-Khadr . At the Husan's eastern roadblock, we noticed a group of some 15 Palestinian men who were standing at the roadblock watching an army jeep in the adjacent El-Khadr junction. They had just been refused passage and ordered to turn around. Among them were three doctors, residents of Nahalin and Husan villages, who work at the Hussein government hospital in Beit Jala, and others. In no time, the jeep was in front of us and the Palestinians. An officer (reserve) jumped out and approached us yelling and warned us to stop interfering in his work. He then asked one of the soldiers to call blue police to get rid of us. A man from Nahalin got a call from his wife telling him that she is having labour pains. To get to his wife, the man had to cross through the El-Khadr roadblock, but he was refused. A border police jeep arrived at the roadblock with Azzam, a BP officer that we knew from checkpoint 300. We asked Azzam to allow the man from Nahalin through. He would let the man through but not before he conducted a thorough interrogation of his own. The man, short, fragile and very shy, patiently answered all questions. Finally Azzam was satisfied; the man was allowed to cross.