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Hebron, Sansana (Meitar Crossing), South Hebron Hills

Observers: Smadar and Michal (photographing and reporting); Translator: Natanya
Aug-24-2021
| Morning

We had not been in Hebron for a long time, both because of the corona constraints and also because the events in the southern Hebron Mountains which followed one after another and we traveled a lot there.

First of all, the “11” checkpoint which is a breach in the fence through which workers travel with no difficulty.

The breach in the fence near the Meitar checkpoint has  not been repaired, of course. If I believed in the necessity of a checkpoint and a wall, I would be very worried. Meanwhile the stupidity is inconceivable.

The image of a gas station mounted on a car somewhere proves once again how true the statement is: “Necessity is the father of invention.”

In Hebron:

A new pillbox has been  built on the route for Jewish worshipers and the whole area seems to have different security deployment. At the entrance to the city, posters have been added about the sanctity of the “city of the fathers”. Graffiti were added, which include the Star of David, Palestinian homes. The silence is tense after the  events a week earlier between settlers and Palestinians. A ghost town.

Idris comes out at our request and proudly shows the certificate he received from the Jewish community in Hebron for his humane behavior in several cases in the past. A rare man is Idris who insists on rescuing anyone who gets into trouble and does not care that he is a Jew . (We have spoken  about this before). Idris talks about the difficult situation in the city as he sees it. Without going into details and without taking a stand, I will only say that there are difficult relations amongst the Palestinians themselves.  Both the Palestinian Authority and the occupation authorities are reaping the benefits (each from their own motives) from the internal conflicts and disagreements.

Again the carrot and the stick has always  existed and is a practice that serves the ruler.

Opposite the cave of the desolate Patriarchal Cave, Abed has opened his shop in the hope of earning a little money anyway.

The situation is very difficult and the shop owners look exhausted and despairing.

Female  security guards hurry to find out who we are when we leave Abed’s shop.

We also drove to the Jaber family who lived at the foot of the Nofei Mamre neighborhood. Under a huge mulberry tree and next to fig trees laden with fruit and the vines, lives Yusri,  Ate Jaber’s brother, in a “house” with his pregnant wife and their two young daughters. The dissonance between this wonderful orchard and this residential structure screams to heaven. The lands of the family were stolen and cut off  by the builders of Kiryat Arba and this thievery of land has  not ended

  • Hebron

    See all reports for this place
    • According to Wye Plantation Accords (1997), Hebron is divided in two: H1 is under Palestinian Authority control, H2 is under Israeli control. In Hebron there are 170,000 Palestinian citizens, 60,000 of them in H2. Between the two areas are permanent checkpoints, manned at all hours, preventing Palestinian movement between them and controlling passage of permit holders such as teachers and schoolchildren. Some 800 Jews live in Avraham Avinu Quarter and Tel Rumeida, on Givat HaAvot and in the wholesale market.

       

      Checkpoints observed in H2:

       

      1. Bet Hameriva CP- manned with a pillbox
      2. Kapisha quarter CP (the northern side of Zion axis) - manned with a pillbox
      3. The 160 turn CP (the southern side of Zion axis) - manned with a pillbox
      4. Avraham Avinu quarter - watch station
      5. The pharmacy CP - checking inside a caravan with a magnometer
      6. Tarpat (1929) CP - checking inside a caravan with a magnometer
      7. Tel Rumeida CP - guarding station
      8. Beit Hadassah CP - guarding station

      Three checkpoints around the Tomb of the Patriarchs

      חברון - יוסרי ג'אבר וחלק ממשפחתו
      Raya Yeor
      Dec-18-2025
      Hebron - Yusri Jaber and part of his family
  • Meitar checkpoint / Sansana

    See all reports for this place
    • 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

       

       

      דרום הר חברון, בית חגי: סוללים דרך ביטחון פנימית
      Muhammad
      Feb-24-2026
      South Hebron Hill, Beit Hagai: Paving an internal security road
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