Curfew in Hebron

I've just returned to Hebron (al-Khalil in arabic) 20 mins ago, from the village of Tuwani where I have been for the last four days. At 8am this morning (6 hours ago) two Israeli soldiers were shot an injured by gunmen at the checkpoint near the Tomb of Abraham, about 100m from the flat I'm in now. A 14yr old boy was killed by Israeli soldiers and a women serious injured in two other incidents at this same checkpoint over the last three weeks (see brief article by a wonderful journalist I know who lives just outside Hebron).

The Old City of Hebron has been put under curfew as soldiers go door to door searching houses - one of the many forms of collective punishment which Israel uses to harrass the people here daily. All males above about 15yrs are being rounded up and detained near the mosque.

I managed to get back into the Old City to get to our flat alone but the other members of the team are scattered about town. As I entered I met a pregnant lady with a 2year old daughter with a broken leg - the soldiers wouldn't let them leave to go to the hosptial, but when I arrived they let her through - a small example of the effect having an international presence here can (sometimes) have. I'm currently waiting for my team members to arrive back to the flat, then we need to decide what we should do next.

Also I have just heard, in an unconnected incident, that two women from a village nearby to Tuwani (where I've just come from) where beaten up by settlers last night. My teammates there have gone to visit them and probably take them to hospital.

Please pray that our team could regroup quickly and have wisdom to do something to help calm the situation and protect innocent people here from arbitary arrest and other harrasment. Please pray for the two injured Israeli soldiers, that they could recover, and for the two beaten up Palestinian women. Continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all the region. Also please pray for me tomorrow and wednesday as I travel to iraq.

UPDATE 11pm: Thanks for all your prayers. I've just spent a productive few hours walking around the cobbled passage ways of the old city, accompanying mothers searching for their children, getting food and blankets to men being detaineed and just talking to people who are confused and distressed. It's frustrating that my arabic isn't better and I often don't understand precisely what people want in this tense situation, but nonetheless it feels like we've been able to help in some small ways. I've been very impressed with the particular unit of Israeli soldiers on duty here. It turns out they are all from the kibbutz movement and they are much calmer and more respectful of Palestinians - even in this tense situation - than many others I've encountered recently. I have enjoyed opportunities to praise the soldiers on their conduct. However alongside this I have heard multiple accounts of a serious beating by soldiers of a man who didn't have his ID with him.