Raya arrived from Route 6 south and when she turned eastward in the direction of Kiryat Gat she saw that someone had erased the Arabic from the sign.

Leah arrived from the direction of Gush Etzion.  From  the Gush Etzion Junction Route 60 to Kiryat Gat has now been completed and named after Rabbi Levinger.  There were no Palestinians  along the road at all.  Once in a while there was a stoplight  At Shuyukh Junction the roundabout was also replaced by a stoplight. 

At the entrance to Kiryat Arba we were asked to show our ID cards and questioned as to where we were going.   We said we were going to the Cave of the Patriarchs.  To the Jewish side or the Muslim side?  We said we were going to the Jewish side.

The Palestinian shop at Tel Rumeida appeared to be closed until we saw a narrow side entrance. 

Next to the Kikar HaShoter (The Policeman’s Square) on  Al Shuhada Street we found Lieutenant Shahadi from the Civilian Administration.  His job is to coordinate things with the Palestinians in the area of Tel Rumeida, solve problems, and improve conditions.  Palestinian passers-by stop to praise him.   He is currently with two workers from the Hebron Municipality dealing with solar panels on the roofs.   One of the Palestinians complained about soldiers who had climbed on the roof of his house and were throwing garbage off the roof.  Shahadi verified that this was forbidden.  

Next to the Pharmacy Checkpoint, the sign for the girls’ school had been vandalized.

All the shops in the square next to the Cave of the Patriarchs were closed.  There are no tourists.  A soldier and a settler were putting on phylacteries in the military position together.

At the ascent after Checkpoint 161 the entrance to the house was blocked with barbed wire and there was only an entrance on the left side.

Bassem’s shop opposite the “Peace House” (“The House of Contention”) was also closed. 

The entrance to the Kafisha neighborhood was closed not only at the checkpoint but also with barbed wire.  All the shops and garages were closed.  This is a financial disaster

The soldiers’ position exit from Kiryat Arba in the direction of Route 60 was covered with posters for a march for renewing the Jewish settlement of Gaza.   The soldier agreed with us that this was not appropriate and promised to report it to his commander.   

On our visit to Ataa Jaber we learned that their financial situation had deteriorated.  They cannot enter their fields, there is no running water, and they have to buy water.  They have no crops to sell.    They submitted a communal project to Oxfam and to the Hebron Municipality for water pipes. The  civil administration  has blocked the project and all their repeated requests have been rejected. 

On Route 60 going south, the entrance to Bani Na’im was open.  The entrance to the Sheep Junction was open going south, but was closed going northward to Hebron.  Qilqis was closed in both directions.  The entrance to Hebron next to Beit Hagai was closed and manned by soldiers with two vehicles.  Dura Al Fawar was also closed in both directions.   The entrance to Dahariya was blocked.  The entrance to the quarry south of Otniel there is now a roundabout.  The entrance to Samu’ was open.  M. claimed that they had opened it last night.