South Hebron Hills: Settlers riot and attack people, children, and animals indiscriminately
Settlers have taken over agricultural lands near the Meitar checkpoint and Route 317 in recent days, erecting fences, planting vines and bringing in herds of cattle. A resident of Mufaqara reported that settlers tried to steal neighbour Fadel’s herd of sheep. He said the police were called but did not arrive. In addition, violent settlers were reported to have entered their olive groves, damaging fruit from the trees (plums) and destroying beehives.
According to the residents, the incidents of violence in the area continue, leaving people injured and property damaged, without a response from the police, despite the fact that they inform them and film what is happening on the ground.
According to additional testimonies from residents of Qawawis, there were very violent attacks by settlers yesterday.
Saber Abu Aram reported that settlers came to Qawawis from ancient Susiya and behaved violently towards everyone. They broke cameras and injured 11 people, including 75-year-old Jabarin and his wife. The attackers tried to steal a flock of sheep, killing three of them, and beat them indiscriminately, whether children or adults. Residents described the conduct as a Mafia operation, adding that the children are in constant fear. They claim that the police are not intervening and are not protecting them.
Location Description
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
Smadar BeckerApr-10-2026New Israeli flags placed for miles on Highway 317 to prove who is sovereign
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