Hebron, Sansana, South Hebron Hills, Tue 16.6.09, Morning

Date: 16/06/2009 ,Morning

Observers: Mical Ts. (photos), Hagit B. (report)

Hebron

According to Wye Plantation Accords (1997), Hebron is divided in two: H1 is under Palestinian Authority control, H2 is under Israeli control. In Hebron there are 170,000 Palestinian citizens, 60,000 of them in H2. Between the two areas are permanent checkpoints, manned at all hours, preventing Palestinian movement between them and controlling passage of permit holders such as teachers and schoolchildren. Some 800 Jews live in Avraham Avinu Quarter and Tel Rumeida, on Givat HaAvot and in the wholesale market.

Checkpoints observed in H2:

Bet Hameriva CP- manned with a pillbox
Kapisha quarter CP (the northern side of Zion axis) - manned with a pillbox
The 160 turn CP (the southern side of Zion axis) - manned with a pillbox
Avraham Avinu quarter - watch station
The pharmacy CP - checking inside a caravan with a magnometer
Tarpat (1929) CP - checking inside a caravan with a magnometer
Tel Rumeida CP - guarding station
Beit Hadassah CP - guarding station

Three checkpoints around the Tomb of the Patriarchs

Close description

07:00-10:00

Sansana CP: By 07:00am the workers have all crossed. The first of the buses carrying prisoners' families on way to their visit is already on the Israeli side. We were surprised and left wondering at the absence of any sand-trucks.

Highway 60
There is no traffic, absolutely deserted. All roadblocks are in place and pillboxes are manned.
Samoa, Dahariya, Karame, Dura Al Fawwar, Dir Razeq, the gate below Beit Hagai, The Sheeps' Junction, Shuyuch-Hebron: all, unchanged.
At the entrance to Kiryat Arba the small illegal stronghold must have been dismantled this morning. The flags aren't flying there anymore.

Hebron
Tel Rumeida, Tarpat, the Pharmacy, Patriarchs' Tombs' Cave, the House of Dispute, Beit Qfeisha CPs: all are painfully desolate. They are all manned and the gate at the Curve 160 CP is open but the mortar blocks are in place. There are no people and no detainees. The deserted town is heartbreaking.
Highway 35
No longer an apartheid road. Many Palestinian vehicles cross at the Olive Crossing towards Tarqumiya. The pillboxes are manned.
Tarqumiya-Idna CP: people there tell us that for the past six weeks or so about three times a day the "arrest of life" procedure is imposed - for forty minutes not a vehicle moves in any direction. How this procedure, which is so aggravating to so many, as we're constantly told, is supposed to prevent terrorism, we fail to see.
A new road is being paved with US funding in Zone B - from the old CP to Beit Kahil, so that the Palestinians don't have to use highway 35. We drove as far as it goes at present. We hope it would aid the Palestinian economy. For the moment the grocery at Tarkumiya-Idna is ordering less commodities as so few go by it.Today despair looked bearable...