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Hebron, South Hebron Hills

Tags: Violence
Observers: Natanya, Michal (reporting) Charles K. (trans.)
May-20-2014
| Morning

South Hebron Hills

Nothing unusual.  The balloon floats over Beit Haggai.  Many Border Police vehicles were travelling on Highway 60.

 

Hebron

As usual during school vacations, children are in the streets.  No detainees at the checkpoints and roadblocks.

 

Above the Hazon David synagogue, just past the road up to the Kiryat Arba police station, there’s a wheat field belonging to A.E.  For “security” reasons, they confiscated all his reaping tools.  On Saturday volunteers from Rabbis for Human Rights arrived and, together with him, harvested most of the crop by hand.  Volunteers from Ta’ayush finished the job on Sunday.

Natanya, who’d been there on Saturday, brought us to see the field.  A.E. told her that last year, the “holy” rabbi of that synagogue had set fire to the wheat.  This year everyone was happy they were able to finish harvesting.

 

A brief explanation:  This “synagogue” is directly opposite the gate between Kiryat Arba and Hebron.  What’s there?  A dilapidated tent, a few boards and next to it a large sign announcing that it’s a synagogue.  Since it’s located one hundred meters from the road to Beit HaMeriva, and situated between two Palestinian homes, it’s clear as day that they intend to stake another claim here.  Occasionally we see one “dear Jew” or another from Kiryat Arba-Hebron enter this magnificent tabernacle to pray.

  • 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 - בקשת פיצויים בגין הפקעת אדמה
      Muhammad D.
      May-13-2026
      Hebron - Request for compensation for land expropriation
  • 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

       

       

      אבן שהניחו מתנחלים בדרך המובילה לשטח משפחת ת'יל ברהווה
      Muhammad D.
      Jun-7-2026
      A stone placed by settlers on the road leading to the Thiel family's territory in Rahwa
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