At-Tuwani – tear gaz in a non-existent demonstration
Route 60:
Meitar crossing – the parking lot on the Palestinian side is packed to the brim with cars. This morning many workers were still passing by. They will return early, because in the early afternoon the closure for Palestinians begins. Not for us, the privileged, of course. I’m not even required to show my ID at the checkpoint on the way back. Muhammad, who does not belong to the chosen people, is required to do so.
We drove along Route 60, to examine the new roadblocks along it. We made a detour: we passed Dura al- Fawwar, the Sheep Junction, and from there we headed towards Zif, Umm El Kheir, Carmel, Ma’on and At-Tuwani (route 317).
There are many new dirt blocks. Along the entire road, starting from the checkpoint, there are dirt embankments, on both sides. On the side of the fence, behind the embankment there is an open area – it was already reported in the past about the bulldozers that uprooted all the vegetation.
Further on – a military observation tent on the left, a barrier in front of Meitarim.
A signpost for Havat Yehuda – a settler from Eshtamoa (the farm is an offspring of the illegal outpost of Eshtamoa, which in the meantime is growing and growing). The farm is located on private Palestinian land. There is also a new way to Eshtamoa. There are many more signposts.
At the signpost for Samu’ (Palestinian settlement), election propaganda of Smotrich is pasted. As with many other signs. Smotrich stars here.
New roadblocks on the left – at the entrances to Deir Shams, which leads to Dahariya and Hebron.
Roads 356, 317:
Passage to agricultural lands is blocked. . Blockades opened by the residents are also seen. Literally a dance of rotating obstacles between two unequal forces: the Israeli army, and the difficult life of the Palestinian residents.
Further on – both sides of the road are blocked by earth embankments. There is complete control over the residents’ movement options.
At-Tuwani
I had not been here lately. I started here over fifteen years ago, with Hagit, when there was still no internal peripheral road, school yard, electricity poles, clinic, kindergarten, water connection. Most of the villagers lived in caves.
But there was Maon and Havat Maon, situated on the tops of two hills above the valley of At-Tuwani. Saber, who was a local leader (he passed away several years ago), invited us, at the beginning of the summer, to see a water hole into which the settlers of Havat Maon had thrown a dead chicken, thereby eliminating the hole for that summer. And Tuba‘s children arrived (if at all) at school by a very long road, which bypasses Havat Maon from afar.
Since then, the people of the village have pulled themselves up by their shoelaces, and there are not enough words to praise them . We also met a resident of the village who was driving a commercial vehicle. But, only one thing has not changed, and has only gotten worse: the violence from Maon and Havat Maon.
We met Bassel, who works at a newspaper, speaks English (he learned from the international activists who live in At-Tuwani). Nasser’s son. Bassel is committed to his village – declares that he will not leave and will fight for their right to live and develop the village.
Reported here: the violent activity of the security forces (occupation) on Saturday, inside At-Tuwani.
Bassel’s story – the army’s invasion of At-Tuwani
It was the intention of the residents of At-Tuwani to organize on Saturday morning to go to Sha’b-el-Butum near Mitzpe Yair, for a demonstration there.
Early in the morning, the army surrounded the entire village, on the surrounding hills – private land of the villagers, and blocked the exit to the road between the settlements. The villagers didn’t even have time to get past the clinic. Two jeeps entered the village, accompanied by foot soldiers, and also a special police unit, and started throwing tear gas grenades at the people, and at the houses. The people of the village asked them, over the loudspeaker, to stop, because there were also small children in the area. It did not help. The tear gas was thrown both by the soldiers inside the village and by the forces on the hills.
The army stayed in the village for about four hours. There was also a special police unit and jeeps.
A link to a clip of the events in At-Tuwani that was filmed by some reporter
(Jude):
The video starts near the kindergarten at the entrance to At-Tuwani. You also see the soldiers concentrating at the entrance near the road.
https://www.facebook.com/jude.liemburg/videos/1777660582592809/
Ar–Rakiz:
We met, in At-Tuwani, Ashraf Mahmoud al-Amur, from Ar–Rakiz. He speaks Hebrew – worked in Be’er Sheva, and on the Egyptian border, but now he is denied entry, because of the mess in Ar–Rakiz. He said that he built a house with a metal roof (probably a type of corrugated iron). At the end of July, his house was destroyed. They also destroyed the water tank. They returned to the cave they lived in before: he, his wife, and five children.
There are four families in all of Ar–Rakiz. Water is drawn from At-Tuwani. He was arrested last week in At-Tuwani.
Amazing, with what equanimity and acceptance with reality these people report on the ruins of their homes.
A-Tuwani
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A-Tuwani
The locals came to a-Tuwani during the 20th century from the village of Yatta. They settled in abandoned ruins, utilizing the arable land, pastures for grazing sheep and the abundance of natural caves for habitation. The residents who settled in the caves came from families who could not purchase land for houses in the mother villages, as well as shepherds who did not have enough land to graze. They were joined by clan members who quarreled with other families in the mother locality.
Some of the residents today live in concrete buildings built above the caves. In the area of the village are several water cisterns and an ancient water well called 'Ein a-Tuwani. Local residents are forced to buy water in containers and transport them through many road blocks to the village. With the help of international organizations, an electrical system was installed in the village. In the late 90s of the 20tTh century, an elementary school was established in the serving several small villages in the area.
In 2004, MachsomWatch began visiting and reporting from the Khirbet Tuwani cave village, which suffers badly from the settlers of nearby outposts, and especially from the extremist Ma'on outpost. . The settlers contaminate cisterns, poison the flocks and uproot trees.Particularly notable is the harassment of children from the surrounding villages on their way to school in a-Tuwani, so much so that military escort of children is required to separate them from the attackers (this was arranged following an initiative of the organization's members). In the past year, the escort has been without the vital presence of overseas volunteers.
Near a-Tuwani there are several families who have returned to the caves due to the incessant demolitions of the civil administration (as there is a total construction ban in all of area C). Destroyed are not only residential and agricultural buildings, but also water pipes, machinery. Even water cisterns are clogged up. a-Tuwani residents have created an association for non-violent demolition protests, but in the past year the army’s harsh harassment and settler violence have intensified and escalated. The incident of the small generator confiscation, which left a young man paralyzed, is one of many examples - any legitimate protection of property rights leads to violence and even shootings by the army and the civil administration.
Updated April 2022
A Palestinian residentJun-9-2025Fuqiqis - Settler boys arrive with a herd and harass family members
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Dura Al-Fawwar Junction
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Junction on Route 60: west - the town of El Dura, east - the Al Fawwar refugee camp. There is a manned pillbox at the junction. From time to time the army sets up flying checkpoints at the entrance to El Fawwar and Al Dura. Al-Fawwar is a large refugee camp (7,000 inhabitants in 2007) established in 1949 to accommodate Palestinian refugees from Be'er Sheva and Beit Jubrin and environs. There are many incidents of stone-throwing. In the vicinity of the pillbox there are excellent agricultural areas, Farmers set up stalls adjacent to the plots close to the road. In recent months the civil administration has set up dirt embankments thereby blocking access to the stalls, and making it impossible for the farmers to sell their vegetables. Updated April 2021, Michal T.
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Hakvasim (sheep) Junction
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One of the roadblocks (earthworks, rocks, concrete blocks or iron gates) that prevent transit of vehicles to Route 60 in the southern West Bank and block the southern entrance to Hebron. A manned pillbox supervises the place.
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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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Mesafer Yatta
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Masafer Yatta
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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
A Palestinian residentJun-9-2025Fuqiqis - Settler boys arrive with a herd and harass family members
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Umm al-Kheir
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Umm al-Kheir
A Palestinian village in the southern Hebron governorate, populated by five families. The Palestinian residents settled there decades ago, after Israel expelled them from the Arad desert and purchased the land from the residents of the Palestinian village of Yatta. The village suffers from the violence of nearby Carmel settlers, from water shortage and is subject to frequent demolition of buildings by the Civil Administration.
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Zif Junction
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Zif Junction located on the crossroads that directs towards Road 356 to Yata. Yata is the district city of the southern Hebron Mountains. Usually, this junction is open to traffic. The nearby pillbox is unmanned. But the army and police are present occasionally, sometimes setting up a checkpoint and sometimes detaining residents from the big city. Often, the Israeli policemen inspect vehicles and distribute driving reports to Palestinian vehicles. s
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