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Hakvasim (sheep) Junction, Sansana (Meitar Crossing), South Hebron Hills, Zif Junction

Observers: Daphna and Muhammad; Translator: Natanya
Oct-16-2022
| Morning

Sunday, the eve of a holiday, so the Meitar barrier is less busy, many workers did not come to work.

We drove along highway 60. A little after Eshtamoa, settlers set up a tent/holds, near the Mekorot water reservoir, with the sign Am Israel Chai (The People of Israel Are alive)

the declaration this is ours…!!!

At the intersections, during our holidays and especially at night, there are local closures, within the general closure, which includes the entire area especially at night.

Al Fawwar  Junction, there are armed soldiers at the entrances. Because of the holiday, they are more careful.

Qilqis Square: The positions are ready to be manned, with sandbags for protection…

The Sheep Junction: open to all parties.

Along road 317, you see many blockages of dirt roads, from the agricultural areas, to the main road.

The entrance to Bani Naim is open.

We entered the olive grove of Arun family, Khalet alFuran. He said that in the morning settlers stood at the entrances, to show their presence and Arun was afraid to enter the area. Entered after they left… He has to take care of the trees and prune them, but is afraid to bring a saw and breaks the branches with his hands (not good for the trees).

Zif junction, at Nabil’s, the army is more careful, but overall calm. At the entrance to Kfar Zif, a hammer is standing at the entrance.

The tents that were destroyed last week by the settlers, in Wadi Idjashhash, have been re-erected.

  • 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.
  • 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
  • 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

       

       

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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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