Jimba - confiscating cars without reason
10 am: At the Meitar crossing, a vehicle with a Palestinian license plate is on the Israeli side. Muhammad explains that this is a businessman who has permission to enter Israel with his car.
Right to road 60, and from there to the right to road 317, from the Meitar industrial area, along the road on the right, you see a pipe that draws water to the new vineyard of the settler, Yinon, who joins the other settler, Kaplan, in bullying Abu Safi and his neighbour, who has already sold Kaplan his sheep and the hut. He left because he was afraid for his young children, and anyway the land was not his. Abu Safi, on the other hand, does own his land, yet it seems that after one hundred and twenty, his children will sell everything to Kaplan and leave. The practice of bullying in the service of the policy of ethnic cleansing is indeed successful, albeit slowly, as we unfortunately see in other places in the West Bank.
On the right, a road leading to the settlements, Shani and Livne, a checkpoint and soldiers. Muhammad or other Israeli Arabs cannot pass, so I will try to drive here myself one day. Jews, of course, can transfer goods there and anything they want.
After the last attack at the Sheep Junction, soldiers are seen along the road guarding every intersection, and even two soldiers at the bus station of the Susiya settlement, guarding two boys who are trying to catch a ride.
At-Tuwani, a visit to Bassel for an update on yesterday. I would like to point out that I am the second person among us who has fallen when entering his house. All of you are asked to take extra caution when entering the rickety houses. Also, to our knowledge, we asked the treasurer of MachsomWatch and found that the organization does not have insurance that covers the damages caused to the volunteers during the shifts.
Yesterday the activists were called to the village of Jimba, and there a routine activity took place: an inspector of the Civil Administration tows confiscated cars for no specific reason, of course accompanied by the army. The damage to the fabric of life is serious – food for the animals and all other goods now have to be brought with donkeys, a big hassle, and a waste of a lot of time, and this is intentional. Also, the confiscated car can only be redeemed for a fine of thousands of shekels, and only after about a month, from the Gush Etzion police station, located in a compound on the northern border of Beitar Illit, in front of Hussan, that is – far away.
There is a vehicle borrowed in the meantime for the purpose of transporting students to school from various villages (not from Umm Tuba, from where, as I recall, there are soldiers escorting the children going to and from school). These days, the possibility of transferring money from excess donations of MachsomsWatch, so that a car can be bought is being examined, a bureaucratic problem of transferring money from one association to another.
Continue north and then connect back to Route 60, west and south. At the site of the last attack, there are two squares, one after the other, both blocked by the army and careful checks of every vehicle are carried out. In the more western square, where you turn right towards Hebron, a large blue metal Star of David has been placed and it seems as if a monument will one day appear there.
Also, further on, in the square of Qilqis, on both sides are soldiers, and long lines of cars that are slowly being inspected. And also, at the intersection after Beit Hagai, facing right (north) to Hebron, soldiers are slowly checking vehicles. Route 60 curves to the left (south), on the top of the hill above Beit Hagai a large Israeli flag flies.
A-Tuwani
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A-Tuwani
The locals came to a-Tuwani during the 20th century from the village of Yatta. They settled in abandoned ruins, utilizing the arable land, pastures for grazing sheep and the abundance of natural caves for habitation. The residents who settled in the caves came from families who could not purchase land for houses in the mother villages, as well as shepherds who did not have enough land to graze. They were joined by clan members who quarreled with other families in the mother locality.
Some of the residents today live in concrete buildings built above the caves. In the area of the village are several water cisterns and an ancient water well called 'Ein a-Tuwani. Local residents are forced to buy water in containers and transport them through many road blocks to the village. With the help of international organizations, an electrical system was installed in the village. In the late 90s of the 20tTh century, an elementary school was established in the serving several small villages in the area.
In 2004, MachsomWatch began visiting and reporting from the Khirbet Tuwani cave village, which suffers badly from the settlers of nearby outposts, and especially from the extremist Ma'on outpost. . The settlers contaminate cisterns, poison the flocks and uproot trees.Particularly notable is the harassment of children from the surrounding villages on their way to school in a-Tuwani, so much so that military escort of children is required to separate them from the attackers (this was arranged following an initiative of the organization's members). In the past year, the escort has been without the vital presence of overseas volunteers.
Near a-Tuwani there are several families who have returned to the caves due to the incessant demolitions of the civil administration (as there is a total construction ban in all of area C). Destroyed are not only residential and agricultural buildings, but also water pipes, machinery. Even water cisterns are clogged up. a-Tuwani residents have created an association for non-violent demolition protests, but in the past year the army’s harsh harassment and settler violence have intensified and escalated. The incident of the small generator confiscation, which left a young man paralyzed, is one of many examples - any legitimate protection of property rights leads to violence and even shootings by the army and the civil administration.
Updated April 2022
Muhammad D.Jun-14-2026Smadar with Azzam and Wadha in Susiya
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Hakvasim (sheep) Junction
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One of the roadblocks (earthworks, rocks, concrete blocks or iron gates) that prevent transit of vehicles to Route 60 in the southern West Bank and block the southern entrance to Hebron. A manned pillbox supervises the place.
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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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Meitar checkpoint / Sansana
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Meitar Checkpoint / Sansana The checkpoint is located on the Green Line and serves as a border crossing between Israel and the West Bank. It is managed by the Border Crossing Authority of the Defense Ministry. It is comprised of sections for the transfer of goods as well as a vehicle checkpoint (intended for holders of blue identity cards, foreign nationals or diplomats and international organizations). Passing of Palestinians is prohibited, except for those with entry permits to Israel. Palestinians are permitted to cross on foot only. The crossing has a DCO / DCL / DCL / DCL (District Coordination Office), a customs unit, supervision, and a police unit. In the last year, a breach has been opened in the fence, not far from the crossing. This breach is known to all, including the army. There does not appear to be any interest in blocking it, probably as it permits needed Palestinian workers without the bureaucratic permits to get to work in Israel. Food stalls and a parking area economy have been created, but incidents of violent abuse by border police have also been recorded. Updated April 2022
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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-14-2026Smadar with Azzam and Wadha in Susiya
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