Hebron, Sansana, South Hebron Hills, Tue 22.9.09, Morning
Trans.: Revital S.
Good news (in hope they are harbingers of better days): Following Defense Minister Barak's announcement, that road blocks would be pulled down in tribute to 'Id al-Fitr, many road blocks on Roads 60, 317 and 356 have actually been dismantled: may they never be reconstructed. Still, the main blocks – Dahariya (the southern entrance to Hebron, below Beit Hagai) and the entrance to Hebron from Beit Anon remain unchanged.
Road 60
Strongholds – Facing Shama, on the outskirts of Dahariya, we notice a new construction which does not appear to be Palestinian: a lone building on top of the hill. The stronghold north of Kiryat Arba has been extended to include a large tent.
Along the road, security personnel of Mekorot (Israeli Central Water Authority) are checking, to ensure that water is not stolen off pipes. Themselves protected by an armed guard, they ask how come we're not afraid.
Sansana Crossing
We arrive after the workers have all crossed. Nine buses carrying families to prison visits are waiting for inspection. Three are already waiting, with a full load of passengers, on the Israeli side, in order for them all to proceed in a single convoy. The prisoners are only entitled to forty-five minute visits anyway, so it doesn't really matter when they arrive. The families have been waiting on the Israeli side since 6:30am and we are again surprised – they know inspection won't begin before 7:30am. On days with so many buses going to the prisons more inspection points could and should be opened, but all in all the place doesn't seem too crowded. There are benches and the turnstiles turn both ways so you can go back if you wish and not crowd in a queue.
Hebron
Today, in the military and police jargon, is "an exceptional Jewish day" in Hebron, when only Jews are allowed to pray in the large hall of the Patriarchs' Tombs' Cave. The allocation of praying days to Muslim and Jews is determined by the Civil Administration, Waqf representatives and representatives of the Chief Rabbinate according to the Holidays' calendar.
During the ten days of atonement (between New Year and Yom Kippur) Jews get their own special days. Then busloads arrive in Hebron with thousands of orthodox Jews. Special parking lots are prepared for them (by the Pharmacy CP, e.g.) and special security measures are enforced in order to ensure their safety in H2, including greater diligence in inspecting Palestinians at the various CPs. More youths are detained and more Palestinian IDs taken for inspection; it is also evident that more parachutists patrol the streets and there are soldiers in pairs on every corner and in every alley.
People are positioned on the roof of the House of Dispute and the Border Police CP there has been reinforced.
The house by Curve 160 CP has been taken over: a flag of the brigade as well as an Israeli flag fly on the rooftop, a military shading net has been put up and the entrance to the stairwell carries a sign saying "Kidmat Yehuda". It looks quite surrealistic – three military vehicles, one police car and a generator making an incessant noise – and on the steps by the house with the occupied roof sits a Palestinian road sweeper, looking on.
A member of the family whose roof has been occupied tells us that the soldiers spoke with his family and did some soldiering to the banister around the rooftop. They promised not to disrupt the household rhythm. They seem civil enough – two are on constant guard below and two are positioned on the top of the stairwell, in addition to all the rest, on the rooftop itself. Who can credit that it does not disrupt inhabitants' life?
The house overlooks the route to the Patriarchs' Tombs' Cave and from subsequent inquiries we learnt that it's the standard procedure every Friday and Saturday, but then only two soldiers man the rooftop. In general, even the 15-20 Palestinian cars which are permitted to usethe Zion Route can not do so on Fridays and Saturdays.
Palestinian children are still about in the streets as their vacation is not yet over. The soldiers gave them a friendly warning, not to throw stones. The soldiers said that as far as they knew they were scheduled to come off the roof tomorrow. We asked a Palestinian friend to let us know.
At the top of Tel Rumeida Quarter we were surprised to see that the military shading net has been taken down from the roof overlooking H1 and the roof itself, vacated. We went up to check and found the roof tidy, washed and clean! Unbelievable! The only sign of the recent occupation is a holiday edition of a daily newspaper. The Palestinians seem to have grown used to everything.
Squills are blooming along our homeward journey. We stop at Um al-Hir to hand over some things Ofra has sent to the inhabitants and take some peace activists to Khirbat Tawani, and then home.
"An exceptional Jewish day" or the usual humdrum of occupation – you choose.
Hebron
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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:
- Bet Hameriva CP- manned with a pillbox
- Kapisha quarter CP (the northern side of Zion axis) - manned with a pillbox
- The 160 turn CP (the southern side of Zion axis) - manned with a pillbox
- Avraham Avinu quarter - watch station
- The pharmacy CP - checking inside a caravan with a magnometer
- Tarpat (1929) CP - checking inside a caravan with a magnometer
- Tel Rumeida CP - guarding station
- Beit Hadassah CP - guarding station
Three checkpoints around the Tomb of the Patriarchs
Leah ShakdielApr-8-2025Hebron: A sign advertising a tempting real estate
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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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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
Muhammad D.May-13-2025Susiya - at Ahmad and Halima Nawaja'a
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