Hebron, Sansana, South Hebron Hills, Tue 9.2.10, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
Sansana-Meytar crossing
The fenced corridor is already empty. Two buses with relatives of prisoners have already arrived, and the relatives wait under the awning. The people come toward us: “Where were you Sunday? It was chaos. People were taken to the hospital!” We ask what happened, and it turns out that on Sunday it’s more crowded and people are under pressure to get to work on time. As a result – they crowd dangerously into the turnstile. And in fact, one man was crushed and had to be taken to the hospital. In view of this, we decide to reconsider sending a special shift to the Meytar crossing on Sundays at 05:00.
Route 60
The usual depressing sights of dozens of children walking along the side of the road and endangering themselves on the way to school. A large Arabic sign is posted on the path to the village of Simiya. M., our driver, translates: “Welcome home Ibrahim after 12 years in prison.” We see the same sign on a house up the hill. Apparently that’s where Ibrahim lives. The irony screams to high heavens, because opposite the sign, on the other side of Route 60, an announcement is carved on a large rock: “With God’s help, building materials in Sham’a”, including a cellphone number to call. Farther down the road we were glad to see that the barrier on the way to Qalqilya has been opened. The dirt road looks as if it has been graded, and the large rocks moved by heavy equipment. A little more effort could have been made to clear the road, but it’s better than nothing.
Hebron
In the Nofey Mamreh neighborhood, at the entrance to Qiryat ‘Arba, we see intensive construction activity. Where’s the freeze? On the hill on the other side, the outpost that sprung up there recently seems to have grown. Hebron is quiet. The occupation continues quietly. Most of the checkpoints are manned by soldiers from the Shimshon battalion, except those at the Pharmacy and the Cave of the Patriarchs, which are manned by Border Police soldiers.
At the Pharmacy checkpoint the passage on the sidewalk between H1 and H2 has been completely fenced in. Polite Border Police soldiers explain patiently and in a friendly manner: “There were cases recently in which people tried to avoid going through the magnemometer, and they even found a knife on someone, and accused us that we hadn’t inspected them properly. Now, everyone has to pass by us.”
At the end of the shift we drove to our “office,” where our Palestinian friends said goodbye to Hagit, who’s going to Australia. It was pleasant and moving.
Hebron
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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
Lea ShakdielMay-27-2025Hebron, settlers vandalized the sign of the girls' school
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Meitar checkpoint / Sansana
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Meitar Checkpoint / Sansana The checkpoint is located on the Green Line and serves as a border crossing between Israel and the West Bank. It is managed by the Border Crossing Authority of the Defense Ministry. It is comprised of sections for the transfer of goods as well as a vehicle checkpoint (intended for holders of blue identity cards, foreign nationals or diplomats and international organizations). Passing of Palestinians is prohibited, except for those with entry permits to Israel. Palestinians are permitted to cross on foot only. The crossing has a DCO / DCL / DCL / DCL (District Coordination Office), a customs unit, supervision, and a police unit. In the last year, a breach has been opened in the fence, not far from the crossing. This breach is known to all, including the army. There does not appear to be any interest in blocking it, probably as it permits needed Palestinian workers without the bureaucratic permits to get to work in Israel. Food stalls and a parking area economy have been created, but incidents of violent abuse by border police have also been recorded. Updated April 2022
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South Hebron Hills
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South Hebron Hills
South Hebron Hills is a large area in the West Bank's southern part.
Yatta is a major city in this area: right in the border zone between the fertile region of Hebron and its surroundings and the desert of the Hebron Hills. Yatta has about 64,000 inhabitants.
The surrounding villages are called Masafer Yatta (Yatta's daughter villages). Their inhabitants subsist on livestock and agriculture. Agriculture is possible only in small plots, especially near streams. Most of the area consists of rocky terraces.Since the beginning of the 1980s, many settlements have been established on the agricultural land cultivated by the Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills region: Carmel, Maon, Susia, Masadot Yehuda, Othniel, and more. Since the settlements were established and Palestinians cultivation areas have been reduced; the residents of the South Hebron Hills have been suffering from harassment by the settlers. Attempts to evict and demolish houses have continued, along with withholding water and electricity. The military and police usually refrain from intervening in violent incidents between settlers and Palestinians do not enforce the law when it comes to the investigation of extensive violent Jewish settlers. The harassment in the South Hebron Hills includes attacking and attempting to burn residential tents, harassing dogs, harming herds, and preventing access to pastures.
There are several checkpoints in the South Hebron Hills, on Routes 317 and 60. In most of them, no military presence is apparent, but rather an array of pillboxes monitor the villages. Roadblocks are frequently set up according to the settlers and the army's needs. These are located at the Zif Junction, the Dura-al Fawwar crossing, and the Sheep Junction at the southern entrance to Hebron.
Updated April 2022
Michal TsadikDec-23-2025Wadi Shahish - The family car vandalized by settlers
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