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Hebron, Sansana, South Hebron Hills, Thu 7.10.10, Morning

Observers: Zipi Z. and Michal Tz. (reports)
Oct-07-2010
| Morning

translated by Bracha B.A.

The soldiers from Nahal are leaving Hebron, and the Kfir Brigade will take their place. 

Meitar-Sansana Crossing
The crossing is empty.  The workers have all crossed through and there are no prisoners' families.

Route 60
A special military vehicle is standing at Mitzpeh Eshtamua, apparently equipped with observation equipment.  Until we reach Dura Elfawwar the road is nearly empty, with no vehicles or pedestrians. After that, there were many school children going to school in the UNWRA School in Elfawwar. When we came back soldiers came down from the pillbox and began checking cars. 
Beneath Beit Hagai soldiers were standing on the road armed from head to foot. When we drove back they were gone.  The house taken over by soldiers at the Bnei Naim junction is now empty, but the road is full of military vehicles. 

Hebron
At the entrance to Kiryat Arba there is a large IDF contingent, and a new smiling soldier greets us. "Ah, it's you again?  There are two of you?" He lets us pass. The Avihai outpost is repopulated and there are cars and people milling about.  The city of Hebron is busy with morning traffic: with children going to school and a lot of soldiers. It is the last morning that the Nahal military unit is present in Hebron and their presence is felt at the Worshippers' Route, Curve 160, and Gross Square. At the pharmacy checkpoint and Tarpat Checkpoint soldiers are not checking the children. 
We met women from the CPT who were pleased to see us, and wanted to ensure that we could come next week, since they are apprehensive about what will happen once the soldiers from the Kfir Brigade arrive. They report that there have been no problems with the Nahal soldiers.
 
A young soldier greets us with "Ah, machshomwatch women!" We ask him what he has heard about us and he says that he doesn't want to use foul language. We ask him if he is pleased to be leaving Hebron and he says yes, that no one wants to serve in Hebron. There is a group of soldiers patrolling again near Tel Romeida. There are a lot of army vehicles parked near the Patriarchs' Cave Tombs. The changeover of military forces is apparent. We hope that this time the Kfir soldiers will be more humane than they were the last time round.

  • 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, מתנחלים השחיתו שלט של בית הספר לבנות
      Lea Shakdiel
      May-27-2025
      Hebron, settlers vandalized the sign of the girls' school
  • 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

       

       

      ואדי שחיש - מכונית המשפחה שהושחתה ע"י המתנחלים
      Michal Tsadik
      Dec-23-2025
      Wadi Shahish - The family car vandalized by settlers
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