Hebron, South Hebron Hills, Mon 29.6.09, Morning
Road 35
From Tarqumiya to Hebron: traffic is heavier than usual.
The Bridge Crossing: the route to Hebron is open and there's traffic in both directions.
South Mount Hebron:
We went as south as Hirbat Tawanni today, where we meet Saber. We were glad to see the newly paved road, although it is still not complete and does not quite reach the highway. Saber says that the children next to us are excited because they've never seen asphalt before… he reports that the civil admin. put up electricity, but there's still no water supply, because they cannot be connected to the pipe leading water to the settlement Ma'on. "Yesh Din" (Hebrew for "Law/Justice obtains" – Israeli civil right NGO) are trying to help out.In the tiny, half-empty grocery, there are a few vegetables from Jericho and some basic ingredients. No milk products, because everyone around here grows sheep.
Road 60
En route back north – the entry to Bnei Naim is open, westwards – to Hebron – shut.
Hebron
Many paratroopers at the checkpoints and anyway, next to the Patriarchs' Tombs' cave there is some incident creating a sort of congestion. On the lawns, groups of Jewish children with a teacher?/guide? Perhaps a summer program? Many signposts: "prayer and outcry at the Kotel."
Hadassah house: quiet. No one to be seen.
Shouhada St., Tarpat CP, Tel-Rumeidah CP: paratroopers, they stop no one; in the streets, mainly women and children.
Pharmacy CP: no traffic. In the new, and rather empty grocery store, the owner's 11 year old grandson tells us in a pretty good Hebrew (which he learned from his friend in Kiryat Arba, as we learn…) that his father is in detention for six months already.
A relatively quiet day.
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:
- 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
-
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
Muhammad D.Jun-7-2026A stone placed by settlers on the road leading to the Thiel family's territory in Rahwa
-