Hebron, South Hebron Hills, Wed 26.10.11, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
There are vehicles behind the pillbox today at the humanitarian checkpoint, some soldiers alongside them. They don’t seem to care at the moment about what’s happening on the road.
The drive is unimpeded; we enter Kiryat Arba smoothly.
Giv’at Avichai keeps growing. Today we see new buildings on the slope facing us, with solar water heaters. In other words, they’re living life fully there…
The roads in Kiryat Arba are now excellent. The sukkah at the Baruch Goldstein compound has already been dismantled (the holiday is over).
There’s a soldier in a position on the roof of Beit Hameriva, opposite Bassam.
Farther on, Curve 160, Pharmacy, Tarpa”t checkpoint, and the streets in general – quiet, little traffic and few people.
Next to Beit Hadassah we pick up a hitchhiker who speaks almost nothing other than Russian. She says she works here and gets off at Tel Rumeida, walks up to the settlers’ neighborhood (A guess: maybe she works there as a cleaning woman?)
Two paratroopers from Battalion 890 at the post, which is now divided between both sides of the road, pleasant and communicative (they wonder: What problems did you observe here?)
At ‘Abed’s – we meet people from TIP. One, whom we’ve met in the past, is Turkish, he says he’s going back to Turkey next week, likes being in Israel, will be happy to return –
But not for this mission, which is pointless!!
The music from Beit Gutnick is moderately loud – it’s bearable.
There’s already fresh olive oil at Tarqumiyya’s olive press (It’s expensive this year! The crop was small.)
We’re amazed – we crossed back through Tarqumiyya today without problems and delays. Surprise!
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
Leah ShakdielApr-29-2026South Hebron Hills. The turn to 'Afeka', one of the new outposts facing Abda
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