Hebron, South Hebron Hills, Mon 28.10.13, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
Hebron
It’s quiet. According to what we’re told by Palestinians we speak to in Hebron, the occupation has become “gentler.” The Chayey Sarah Torah portion weekend passed relatively calmly. Only one Palestinian was injured. Bassem continues to build the second storey of his home.
Building materials are being transferred from one side of the Curve 160 checkpoint to the other, as if there was no road or vehicles that could do the job.
Southern Hebron Hills
A flying checkpoint at Ukafim junction (Highways 35/60).
Here’s how it works: three soldiers descend from the pillbox, place a small triangle on the road reading “Checkpoint” in large Hebrew and small Arabic lettering, and stop cars randomly. Ukafim checkpoint is set up for this so it doesn’t cause a traffic jam. They finish dealing with one car before stopping another. The men have to get out, everyone’s IDs are collected, one soldier reads the ID number over the walkie-talkie to an unseen person at the other end; meanwhile the other two soldiers inspect the vehicle’s trunk. The passengers return to the car and if there are no problems they drive on. The procedure takes about 15 minutes. If there’s a problem with one of the ID numbers the soldiers are allowed to detain people for up to three hours – according to the rules.
Who knows who they stop, and when. Uncertainty is the principle on which the occupation operates. What IS certain, however, is you’ll get stuck somewhere on the road, if not today, or tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow, or some other time, until peace breaks out.
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
Raya YeorDec-18-2025Hebron - Yusri Jaber and part of his family
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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
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