Khirbet al-Kharabah - The settler from Anim farm damages the water tank d his herd damages the olive trees
Members of the Daramin family are waiting for us with neighbors from nearby homes. They tell us that a young settler shepherd passed through their property early that morning with a small flock. Ali invites me to follow the route the settler took and shows me fresh sheep droppings.
The family has half as many sheep as it once had. As in all the villages, the settlers do not allow them to take their sheep out to graze. Having to buy sacks of feed places a heavy burden on them, given their difficult financial situation.
The white water tank that supplies their home has been cut several times, and they have repaired it again and again. The water in the tank comes from a nearby well, which settlers from Mordechai Zechariah’s Havat Anim have also damaged several times. The family had to install a new pump.
The olive trees in the photograph have been “treated” by the settlers and by the sheep they bring into the groves to feed on them.
A young grapevine planted in a pot beside their home was meant to climb. The settlers repeatedly lead their sheep to it as well, damaging its growth.
An Israeli man and woman active in the area arrived with us, and we all agree that the presence of activists helps.
Toward the end of our visit, the settler from Mordechai’s Havat Anim, located 800 meters from where we are, returns with a small flock after spending hours out with the sheep. Our hosts point out that he went around their home after noticing us Israelis.
We left food, clothing, kitchenware and toys for the children.
I am attaching videos recorded by members of the family to this report.
#ThisIsTheOccupation
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
Michal TsadikOct-12-2026Umm al-Khair - Concertina wire and fences
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