Hebron, Sansana, South Hebron Hills, Tue 3.2.09, Morning

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Observers: 
Tamar G., Michal Z., Hagit B. (report and photos)
Feb-3-2009
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Morning

Sansana

06:45am: workers are crossing without delays. Palestinian trucks await their turn for the "back to back" procedure. Israeli trucks are unloading sand. 

Highway 60

There's barely any traffic on the road, only the children on their way to school. Military vehicles are also very scarce. All blockages are in place and all pillboxes, manned.
Samoa: open.
Daharia: blocked.
Carameopen.
Abdaopen.
Dir-Razek: blocked.
Klicagisclosed.
Sheep Junction: open.
Shuyuch Hebron: blocked, but has been arranged so that it can be crossed. "The Social Workers of the Occupation (us)" got their way. The CP has not been removed, God forbid, but has been rendered more "humane". How horrible. 

Highway 35
 
at the humanitarian CP the pillbox is manned and crossing is free.
The Olive Crossing: open.
Idna-Tarkumiyathe pillbox is manned and the crossing open.
We paid a visit to the family of the 26 year old who was shot by soldiers when plowing his field with his donkey, accompanied by his six year old son Firas and Hala his daughter who is not quite three. He alarmed the soldiers so they killed him, leaving Haifa a widow with two little orphans. That day he was told to keep away from work at the port in Ashdod as it was being targeted from Gaza. Instead he went plowing his small plot by the CP only to be shot before his children and be left to bleed to death. What can we do but weep with the bereaved family? 

Hebron 
On the Prayers' Route there are two border police jeeps, one by the curve before the Cave of the Patriarchs. 
The Pharmacy CP: the children are being checked one by one. The soldier stands them in line and lets none of them get away with it. This causes them to be late to school and brings to the scene Ibrahimia the headmaster and A' the janitor to ask the soldiers to hurry the inspection a little. You up there in the army do away with this superfluous CP. How does checking seven year olds day in day out on their way to school contribute to your war against terror? 
The Cave of the Patriarchsfour detaineesinfo-icon are allowed to leave twenty minutes after detention. We meet again the two most aggressive settlers Anat Cohen and Ofer Ohana. When Anat really over does it regarding A' our driver the decent constable tries to shut her up but not assertively enough.
Bassam's grocery: Bassam complains of daily harassment by the border police who stand guard over the empty House of dispute. We put him in touch with Yesh Din. 
The House of Dispute: we saw no settlers there nor Palestinian detainees but the CP is still in place. 
Tel Rumeida CP: On top of the road by the soldiers' mortar block a metal fence has been erected that partitions the road half for the Palestinians and half for the rest. No more red line. We notice a disturbance and see two soldiers shaking a Palestinian and yelling at him. Next to him another frightened-looking Palestinian is trying to hang on to him. We disembark to let the soldiers know we're there and see what's going on. The one being yelled at is obviously retarded and the other is his younger brother trying to sooth him. The retarded man was touching the soldier's weapon and may have been handcuffed. The disaster that might have ensued was luckily averted when the soldiers decided to let go of both. The normal frightened brother dragged his sick sibling as quickly as he could away from the soldiers. Later we engaged in a meaningful conversation with the soldiers regarding human dignity and complimented them for having realized that the man is not in his right mind and allowing him to leave.