South Hebron

South HebronMonday morning, 24/ Jan. 2005Observers: Edna S.(Hebrew) and Leah Y.(English)We left Tel Shoqet at 06:45, returned at 08:30ROUTE 60No delay at the Sansana Roadblock,soldiers wave us on with a smile. On our return, Edna offered goodies for Tu Bishvat [Jewish holiday] which were welcomed as well.Beit Hagai: We stop here - on our way there and back - to look for evidence of new mobile homes being installed: we see no tractors or bulldozers in the vicinity, and didn't try to enter. On the whole, our watch was uneventful: few pedestrians the schools are closed and the usual cars with green [Territories] licence plates. Still,we saw an unusual amount of army and police vehicles... jeeps, tenders and Humvees. By the gate into Daharia, a Humvee.Dura-Al Fawwar:the road is open, no traffic The pillbox has a flag, hard to see whether or not it is manned. Shepherd's Junction: few people and at the entrance to Shiyuh:little traffic,no army present. On the way, we pass a "blue" [Israeli] police jeep. The "Humanitarian" Gate [passage for medical cases and materiel] is closed,an army jeep parked there.The Halhul Bridge: another army jeep,not much traffic. The entrance to Sair is open,no pedestrians; a "green" bus passes us by.In general,we saw the usual number of Israeli cars; two pick-up trucks from a settlement flew a symbolic orange flag [of the settler protest against Israeli withdrawal from the Territories].