Zwidin - Violence and shooting by settlers from nearby farms
Traveling to Najeh and Nisrin in the village of Umm Qusa, which is located between the village of Zwidin and the outpost on the hill where a British police station once stood.
Settler Yoav has established a tourist site there called Mitzpe Midrag, which has been an attraction for some time.
Najeh and Nisrin had a son about 50 days ago, and we came to congratulate them.
Already at the entrance to the house’s courtyard, I see that the small greenhouse where a few seasonal vegetables once grew has been dismantled. The reason for this is the lack of water, which barely allows them to survive day to day.
The children have returned from school, happy to see us, and we are happy to see them.
We sit and listen to the stories of their difficult daily life, as in all the occupied territories. Settlers from the surrounding farms show, at best, a disturbing presence—and at worst, as happened in neighboring Zwidin in the first week of October, outright violence.
In the afternoon, several settlers from nearby farms arrived in the village and approached the flock that two 12-year-old boys were herding, intending to steal sheep. Boys from the village who saw this came to help their friends, prompting the settlers to call for reinforcements.
After some time, a military force arrived and arrested 19 men, boys, and children from the village, including three minors. According to a report by Outside the Herd—activists who are regularly present in Masafer Yatta and report frequently—the detainees were stripped of their shirts, their heads were tied, and their hands were handcuffed.
After several hours of abuse and humiliation, all the detainees were released without charge. None of the settler attackers, including the shooter, were arrested.
Zwidin is being targeted by settlers from Shimon Atiya’s Shorashim (Roots) Farm, with reinforcements from nearby outposts, and even by a settler named Moshe, who established an outpost in the village of Huwwara (near Dirat).
Najeh adds that there was a shooting at a Zwidin resident, who was hit in the leg and, fortunately, was hospitalized in Hebron Hospital and is now recovering at home.
There is no day and no night—it is only getting worse.
Before we left, I asked what was happening with the trial that had lasted several years following the demolition of the foundations of the house they had begun to build, which was demolished by the Civil Administration in what later turned out to be a mistake.
They will probably have to forget about the pursuit of justice; the war has pushed the case to the sidelines—it interests no one.
At least we were glad to hear that Najeh managed to harvest the olives in the small orchard next to his house and was able to reach the Yita oil press to produce olive oil.
The children were happy with the many games and toys we brought, and we enjoyed our time with them.
Location Description
Mesafer Yatta
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This is happening in Fire Area 918 in the South Hebron Hills
On the eve of Remembrance Day (the day before Israel Independence Day), 4th May, 2022, the Israeli High Court decided on the transfer and expulsion of residents from 8 Palestinian communities in the area of Masafar Yata in the South Hebron Hills. Residents of the villages have been living under the threat of demolition, evacuation and expropriation since the IDF issued evacuation orders in 1999 based on the 1980s proclamation of their area of residence as a firing zone for IDF drills. None of the nearby settlements were included in this zone. The Masafer Yata Palestinian villages retain a special lifestyle and ancient agricultural culture. They also posess a clear historical documentation that testifies to a Palestinian settlement in this area, generations before the establishment of Israel, long ago in the caves and at later times outside them.
Evacuating residents from the area means destroying these historic villages and leaving entire families (about 2,000 people, children, adults, and the elderly) homeless. This is contrary to international law.
In June 2022, a firing drill started, and life became harder.
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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
MuhammadFeb-24-2026South Hebron Hill, Beit Hagai: Paving an internal security road
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