Hebron, South Hebron Hills, Tarqumiya
We met at the Tarqumiyya crossing and drove to meetings in villages with the people responsible for preparing the lists of Beach Day participants in order to give them forms to be signed and detailed explanations about all the arrangements and behavior at the beach.
We began at A-Tuwani. In the principal’s office at the school, surrounded by many teachers, we met Tayasir, who’s in charge of the lists. Ricki and Rachel, whose ability to speak Arabic is impressive, explain to Taysir everything he has to know and pass on, and all the safety precautions.
We continued to Umm-el-Hir, to a meeting we’d arranged with Eid, but to our disappointment he wasn’t there (he’d been called to work).
We drove to Huda’s kindergarten in Hisham al-Daraj (it’s 11 AM; the children had already gone home). Huda and her assistant welcomed us warmly and happily, and we were amazed by the huge improvement in the kindergarten.
On the way to Hebron – a brief stop at Hayfa’s lovely home in Kafr Zif, where we were also warmly welcomed.
On to Hebron to meet Issa and Umm Yazdi who’s preparing the Beach Day lists. They host us beneath the olive trees in the courtyard of the small “community center” that Issa directs (which we knew about when Tzipi’s Michael established it some time ago). Issa tells us about the activities, and about his being blacklisted for no reason other than, perhaps, him being a community activist.
They receive the forms, hear all the explanations, Issa translates from excellent English to Arabic, all the important information was transmitted. Issa appears extremely responsible… two groups will go this summer, one in June and the second in August (after Ramadan).
Our last visit, in Tarqumiyya, with Mufida in her home. She’s a cheerful, energetic community activist (We’re amazed at the incredible dresses she embroiders). Here too we delivered the required forms and all the explanations. Mufida asks why there aren’t trips to other parts of Israel. They thirst for them…
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
Lea ShakdielMay-27-2025Hebron, settlers vandalized the sign of the girls' school
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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
A Palestinian residentJun-9-2025Fuqiqis - Settler boys arrive with a herd and harass family members
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Tarqumiya CP
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The Tarqumiya Checkpoint is one of the largest and busiest checkpoints where people and goods cross into Israel. It is located on the Separation Barrier close to the Green Line, on Road 35 (connecting Beer Sheva and Hebron). It is run by the Israel Defense Ministry’s Crossings Administration with civilian secuirty companies running the day to day operations. The checkpoint is indeed open to vehicles in both directions 24/7, but Palestinians are prevented from crossing in vehicles, except in special cases. MachsomWatch activists visit the checkpoint as it opens at 3:45 am, in order to observe the daily passage of nearly 10,000 Palestinian workers. The workers arrive from throughout the Southern West Bank. Our activists report on the tremendous overcrowding at this checkpoint; they have observed young men climbing and scrambling on the fences and roofs of the ‘access cages’. This is how the work day begins for those who ‘build the land of Israel’. updated November 2019
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