South Hebron Hills

South Hebron Hills , Tuesday 22 November 2005 AMObservers: Michal Z, Hagit B (reporting)06:30-10:30 The routine of conquest has returned to what it was before the attack at Gush Ezion. All the gates at all the usual places are closed. All the pillboxes are manned. There are rough strips to slow cars down on route 60 at Dura -al Fawwar and at East Halhul –Sair junctions. There is almost no traffic on the road and almost no army presence on the gorund.Heavy mist on route 317- there is no one at Congo CP (the turn-off to Yatir) nor is there anyone at Schweiz CP (the turn-off to Arad).Near Khirbet at- Tawani there was a squad of soldiers in ambush. They had just stopped Nasser who was taking the residents of the caves near Susiya in his car; they are stopped every day and have their IDs checked. When we asked the soldiers why –they replied that it was by order of the brigade commander's. And why should there be an entire squad of soldiers around Khirbet at-Tawani? We would like to believe it was as protection against the settlers- but the local people don’t see it in that light.Over a hot glass of tea we are told once again about how all the villagers are "menu'ei shabak" – on the GSS's banned list -for security reasons –and not even F. from the Civil Rights organization has been able to help them. The settlers from Ma'on have built a gate next to the settlement. The escort for the schoolchildren arrived in time. The CPT representatives seem to get younger every time we meet them.Everywhere else ther is very little traffic on the apartheid roads –except for the yellow taxis –and there are only a few of them. The entrance to Hebron is through East Halhul and afterwards the Halhul –Hebron bridge, as before. We went to see Beit Awa CP and, as usual, only ambulances and water tanks were allowed through. The road to Dhariya was closed- but they had opened the gate in the direction of Dura.During the shift we got a phone call from Tarqumiya. The workers are being let through – they allowed half of them through at 5:30 but those who came later than that were not allowed through. No explanation was given. All our telephone calls were useless and when I arrived home one of the workers rang me to say that they had returned home. We bought olive oil from the press near the pillbox at the entrance to IDhna -25 shekels a kilo from the last olive harvest –he will be happy to sell to anyone who goes there.