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Hebron, Sansana, South Hebron Hills, Thu 28.5.09, Morning

Observers: Noga R. Mira N. (reprots)
May-28-2009
| Morning

translated by: Naomi S.

Meytar CP: empty. It is Shavout eve today, so it appears that the holiday's curfew is already imposed. 

Road 60

Estamo'ah stronghold: standing.
Dahariya: blocked. All blockages are in place.
Samiya: the entire area was flattened already two weeks ago, reports our driver, M.
Dura Alfawwar: open.
Sheep's Junction: open to cars but the pedestrians' crossing has been substantially lengthened.
Bnei Naim: many cars make their way out. M. says that the internal blockade next to the Hebron settler's vineyard has been opened. We didn't check. For me, this is the first time in four years to see any Palestinian cars leaving Bnei Naim. 

Hebron

Hazon David synagogue is active. There are many prayers.
On the turn to the Patriarchs' Tombs' Cave, Curve 160 CP: the new pillbox is manned by Border Police soldiers.
We go down on the prayers' route, to the Patriarchs' Tombs' Cave. All the houses along the route are still deserted. Even the graffiti "Muhammad is a swine", which we photographed here several years ago is still here. At the Borders' Police position en route to the Patriarchs' cave, a woman-soldier!!
Pharmacy CP: a few children walk though the security screen.At the Beit Midrash (holy studies' school) and the cemetery at the top of Tel Rumeidah, works progress in all earnest. All around, only Palestinian houses, many pedestrians. Many children, too. Why is this all closed down to vehicles anyway? Because of a few tombs, an entire area is driven to despair.
Tel Rumeidah CP: the soldiers (paratroopers – polite) stop our car. On the phone, they've received an order to "make them go away, and anyway, they're not allowed to be there!!" We clarified to them that without a closed military zone edict, they cannot make us leave. Policemen who've stopped said that there's need for a personal security-permit. In fact, I am not clear about the actual limitations myself now. We leave Tel Rumeida by foot, to the Partriarchs' Tombs' Cave. More people along the Shouhada St.
Hadasah House: one detainee. Released ten minutes later.
The Jewish Market on the Shouhada St.: the building seems to be increasigly used with time.
Patriarchs' Tombs' Cave CP: it is now 8:50 and the "music" coming out of the Beit Midrash is in full volume.
The House of Dispute: we drink tea at Basem's. He says that everything is quiet now, but that there's no sign of the promise to open the Zion Route to vehicles.

Because of the holiday-eve pressure, we go straight back home.

  • 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

    See all reports for this place
    • 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

       

       

      אום אל ח'יר - סיכון ביטחוני למתנחלי כרמל
      Michal Tsadik
      Jan-29-2026
      Umm al-Khair - a security risk for Carmel settlers
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