Hebron, Sansana, South Hebron Hills, Wed 12.11.08, Morning

Sansana-Metar CP 6:45
Although many cars are parked in the parking lot, there are almost no people at the CP itself; it seems that most have already passed through to the Israeli side. On the way to Hebron, CPs are open and there is no military presence. 

Hebron 7:30
Pharmacy CP: Empty.
We go up to Tel Rumeida and for the first time since Sukot, are allowed to stay there. At the CP, two soldiers. They don't check the children at all, nor most of the adults. During the time we were there, only two young men were checked. The checks took only a few seconds and were not thorough or humiliating, as we've seen with Golani soldiers in the past. 
Two volunteers of the Eucumenical Churches’ association arrive at the CP and, seeing that there are no exceptional cases, leave immediately. The same, with TIF people. They, too, were not allowed access to Tel Rumeida over the past few days. They tell us that only yesterday (Tuesday), they were presented with an edict, prohibiting entry for 48hrs, but today no use was made of it. 

On our way back, we see a gathering of children at the Pharmacy CP, and a soldier shouting at them. We try to understand what is going on there, but fail. Some of the children go through the scanner while others are allowed to go through unchecked. We can’t decipher the logic of it. The children keep gathering around the CP and we try to understand why. Suddenly we see a few children circumventing the soldier and running through the CP. The children join their friends, who've been waiting for them, and they all run away quickly, rolling with laughter. The soldier starts chasing them but stops after only a few meters. He, too, understands that they were just having fun and that they will not be the perpetrators of the next (terrorist) incident. 

At the Disputed House, where quite a few Israeli flags are already flying, we see a poster saying "thy children shall come again to your border" and photos of three people. Obviously, these are not Shalit, Regev and Goldwasser (in connection with whose kidnapping, and the struggle for their return, this saying has come to be immediately associated in Israel). The photos are apparently those of right-wing activists who were arrested by the police. 

We drive on to Give'at Harsina. The area is deserted, apart from some soldiers, conducting a running contest. 

At Shuyukh Sair, busy traffic as well as children, walking to school.