Hebron, Sansana, South Hebron Hills, Thu 14.10.10, Morning
Translated by Charles K.
6:30-9:30
The army is clamping down – to eliminate Hamas? Or is it Bibi’s “other hand”, creating proof that “there’s no one to talk to”? The Israeli government is again singing two tunes at the same time.
Meitar crossing
By this hour in the morning, all the laborers have crossed. Relatives of prisoners are waiting in two buses to go through.
Route 60
Everything looks normal until we reach the turn to Es-Samua. After that, however, the IDF has set up flying checkpoints at all the junctions: The yellow minibuses are detained for inspection at the entrance to Es-Samua. Many concrete cubes have been brought to the parking area of the headquarters of the Judea brigade and to the area on the other side of the road. Soldiers patrol at the turnoff to Karameh. The concrete blocks that had been abandoned for a long time at both entrances of the Dura Elfawwar junction have been lined with sandbags and again look like firing positions. Soldiers stand inspecting every vehicle. Soldiers patrol near the locked gate below (the settlment of) Beit Haggai, at the southern outskirts of Hebron.
The same sight at the Kvasim Junction: jeeps and soldiers on both sides of the road. Soldiers and military vehicles at the entrance to Kiryat Arba. The roadwork on the magnificent entrance to Hebron continues vigorously. The guard who was always pleasant is still polite but gives us a sour look today (maybe I’m imagining things?). Posters all along the road invite people to hurry and sign up for “Yisrael Sheli.”
Hebron
All the barricades in Hebron are also manned, including those which had been empty for a long time. You can feel the presence of the Kfir brigade. There are many soldiers at Curve 160 on the road to the Jabal Johar neighborhood – where the army carried out an operation last week – but it’s quiet. Pupils and others cross through the Pharmacy and Tarpa”t checkpoints, but aren’t usually detained. A soldier on the way up to Tel Rumeida detains almost everyone. Since he releases them immediately, we don’t intervene. At the Pharmacy junction we ran into people from CPT. They tell us that since the military operation the situation in the city is very difficult and tense. The IDF carries out searches almost daily in the H1 area, and also greatly restricts the activities of CPT members. They feel they’re being put upon so they’ll get sick of being there, and leave the city. Is Hamas the only ones who want the peace talks to fail? The answer is blowing in the wind.