Hebron, South Hebron Hills, Mon 29.10.12, Morning
.Trans. by Naomi S.
We drove to Hebron along Route 317 and 356. We wanted to see the olive harvest, hoping it was proceeding quietly and uninterrupted.
The harvest seemed wonderfully pleasant. In every olive grove, large plastic covers laid on the ground and the people could be seen among the trees, working, cutting, eating, and drinking, notwithstanding the neighboring settlers from Sousiya and Ma'on Carmel.
For a moment, one could imagine that life in this area were normal.
But only for a moment – because suddenly, next to the outpost overlooking the road leading to Massafer Yata, a few soldiers from the Shimshon Brigade came down. They detained cars, conducted searches, and examined cars with yellow registration plaques [Israeli]/
While we were there, we could see how a Palestinian driver was made to take off a yellow plaque. And then another, and another…
That's it. We were reminded where we are.
Photos 2847, 2848: taken next to the outpost, in the middle of nowhere.
Phots 2853: A new, fresh graffiti of "Na, Nach, Nachman, from Uman
Hebron
In Hebron, it is quiet. The last day of Id-Al-Adha, all are on holiday, nicely dressed.
And yet, next to the Gross Square, uphill on the blocked alley leading to Abu S'ninah neighborhood, we notice soldiers patrolling. We walk up to them.
"What's this, in the middle of a holiday, soldiers in H1 area (Palestinian controlled)?
A polite and pleasant sergeant approaches and asks that we leave the area. Why? We enquire. "Because I am responsible for your safety", he replies. What are they doing there, we ask, and he replies that he can't tell us. "It is holiday today" we remind him. "I know. Precisely therefore"[?], he says.
Not a dull moment in Hebron.
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
Muhammad D.May-13-2026Hebron - Request for compensation for land expropriation
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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.Jun-7-2026A stone placed by settlers on the road leading to the Thiel family's territory in Rahwa
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