Dura-Al Fawwar Junction, Sansana (Meitar Crossing), South Hebron Hills, Zif Junction
he Meitar checkpoint was empty after the usual pressure after heavy traffic, accoding to Muhammas,as usual for Sunday.
On the Israeli side, police vehicles were hunting illegal workers and at the bend of highway 60 (immediately after the checkpoint) groups of illegal workers were waiting for the police to leave! The road itself is quite busy, evidently the holiday season.
We turned onto Route 317 and after the checkpoint of Metzadot Yehuda (Beit Yatir). We Did not visit Abu Kbeita this time. The checkpoint was quiet. We continued on Route 317 and entered Zif (the part of the village that is in Area C) and we visited the Amal Garden. Contrary to what we have seen in the past when there were about 15 or 20 children and two assistants, this time were only 4 children. They were happy, but a very small group. Amal says that parents just can't pay the fee for the kindergarten (about NIS 40 per month per child). Amal claims NIS 500-600 per month, a general amount, not per child would allow her to take more children free of charge. She herself is investing a lot of effort and love in the kindergarten. We all in this shift want to think how to help. It is unclear to us how many children are concerned or how many children go to the kindergarden of the Palestinian Authority and what are the conditions there.
ack on Road 60 and Hursa (we didn't stop there though) we saw that the checkpoints at El Fawwar and Dura were open.
From Hursa we drove on a the road that bypassed the checkpoint next to the divan there (about which we have often reported) and we descended towards the settlement of Negohot (45 families). The last time we were there, about a year ago, at the checkpoint at the end of the long road (surrounded by beautiful views) we were not allowed to go through, although it's unclear why. This time the guard did not even ask for documents! We went back on Route 354 (an apartheid road, Palestinians are not allowed to travel there), which is parallel to the separation fence (on the Israeli side), an area beautiful but usually with no human prescence.