Hebron, South Hebron Hills
South Hebron Hills
Highway 317 – Deserted. Summer has turned all the vegetation yellow.
We drove to meet Hana and Abir, two women from the Zif region who took it upon themselves to set up a kindergarten for 30 children, aged 3-5. Since they live in Area C, they’re on their own.
Yael collected a lot of equipment and clothing from kibbutzim in the area; the women want to sell it and use the proceeds for the kindergarten. The Nirlat company donated cans of paint. We brought it all to them; they were happy and thanked us very much. The kindergarten is open but there’s much to do. It’s clear they expect us to help.
We emphasized that we’ll do what we can, which isn’t much, and they shouldn’t expect too much. Still, they’re glad of the support. Hana gleefully showed us photos from the beach day and cruise in Jaffa. She wants us to help the women and children enjoy another day in the open air.
She also asked again to invite anyone interested to her home one evening. She wants to thank us all. We should consider providing them a chance to give, not only to receive. These two warm, active women, one single, the other divorced, display a great deal of willingness and strength to take care of themselves.
We drove to Beit ‘Inun. We were happy to see a large sign had been erected and the entrance from the Sa’ir junction had opened for people travelling to Hebron from the north.
The balloon floats above Beit Haggai. Big Brother is watching.
Hebron
Hebron is faint from heat during summer vacation. Other than a large group of water, electrical and sewer engineers from the Hebron municipality discussing professional matters with a major from the DCL, there’s nothing out of the ordinary.
They said, in response to our question, that they want to replace all the infrastructure; the DCL officer is working with them to plan replacing everything at the same time and as quickly as possible. The locals say relations with the DCL are good, cooperative. We hope so; we’ll follow up.
The Beit Hadassah area is quiet and appears empty at this hour of the afternoon.
Things are quiet at all the roadblocks and barriers . The IDF maintains a low profile today.
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
Raya YeorDec-18-2025Hebron - Yusri Jaber and part of his family
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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
Yael ZoranApr-15-2026Between the flags, barbed wire blocks passage to the dirt path.
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