Hebron, South Hebron Hills, Tue 2.11.10, Morning
Translation: Bracha B.A.
1. The occupation's depressing routine continues.
2. The Road to Negohot is open.
Meitar Crossing
The crossing's personnel continue to meet their obligation to let everyone through on time for work. At 06:45 everyone is already on the Israeli side. There are a lot of trucks waiting as well as two busses with prisoners' families.
Road 60
Heavy traffic in both directions. At the Dura Alfawwar junction the soldiers have come down from the pillbox and examine the traffic headed to Alfawwar. There is a sheep market at the sheep junction with soldiers from the engineering corps observing. We ask them why they are there and they claim they are there only to ensure the market stays within its boundaries and to keep the order… but at least they were polite.
The engineering corps is present also near the entrance to Bani Naim and to Hebron's industrial zone. Graders, a bulldozer, and trucks with a lot of soldiers and non-Jewish laborers are busy moving earth and stones from the left side of the road to the south. They report that they are moving roadblocks, but only temporarily.
Hebron
The new position at the entrance to Kiryat Arba is manned by a soldier.
The construction of the road and the new neighborhood of Nofei Mamreh is under way. The civilian entrance was opened to us by "the nice guy". Soldiers from the Lavi Brigade are stationed along the Worshipper's Road along with the usual checkpoints. We attempted to ask the locals how the Shabbat went and were told that it was as usual with only a bit more IDF supervision than the usual. It appears that everyone is used to the occupation and there is a strangled feeling at every corner. There are gates surrounding Kiryat Arba in all directions and only settlers open and close them as they wish.
Tarquomiya
We decided to go back through Tarquomiya. Another row of concrete barriers has been added at the entrance at Beit Anun. The Tarquomyia Crossing is quiet. There are fewer cars going through here than at Sansana. The inspector questioned us as to where we came from, whom we met, what we did, and how well we know Mohammed, our driver. It is reminiscent of other places, other times, and other governments. When we sent regards to Dudi and Tzion, the people in charge of the crossing, our IDs are returned and we are sent on our way.
The Road to Negohot
Since we encountered a sign on Route 60 pointing to Negohot, we decided to look at the entrance from Route 358 which runs parallel to Route 60 and is closed off to Palestinians. The road runs from the Lachish area south to the area of Kibbutz Lahav. It crosses fields and vineyards and is very pretty. We reached a sign to Negohot. We now had to go on a crossroad eastward that is also closed to Palestinians. They must drive on Route 354, where we are not allowed to go and then go on various winding roads to wherever it is they head to. Anyone who is Jewish and wants to go there has to "invent" friends in Negohot, which is what we did. There is a soldier at the entrance to the road to Negohot and he also verifies that Mohammed is not dangerous. There is so much racism everywhere. Palestinians can drive to their homes in Khursa and Tarma and other villages near Negohot but only on Route 60. They can only drive west through Tarquomiya. At least they can drive on the roads surrounding the settlement of Negohot and the twelve families living there. It is surreal and evil, but it used to be worse. We drove on the winding roads to see what daily life was like for the Palestinians and returned to Route 60 via Abda. It was interesting and irritating, but at least the road is open.
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
Leah ShakdielApr-8-2025Hebron: A sign advertising a tempting real estate
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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.May-13-2025Susiya - at Ahmad and Halima Nawaja'a
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