Sansana (Meitar Crossing), South Hebron Hills
Meitar crossing
No one is left by the time we cross.
Highway 317
Deserted. Families on both sides of the road gather the harvest into sheaves. We see only women and children; the men are probably herding flocks or working in Israel.
Khirbet Tuwani
The visit lasted a long time because G. was home and didn’t let us go… We drank a lot of coffee.
The most recent incident occurred last Saturday evening. Here’s what happened:
At about 6 PM settlers from Havvat Ma’on came to Umm G’s house. Many Palestinian children were playing outside; the settlers yelled at them. The children fled back to the house. When it got dark they discovered a six-year-old boy was missing. He’s the only child of one of G’s brothers. They took flashlights to look for him everywhere; there was a rumor the settlers had kidnapped him.
G. telephoned the police, which came, but they didn’t wait for the squad car and began walking to Havvat Ma’on. There was an argument, but no violence. They found the boy asleep under a boulder. He’d fled from the settlers and hid there. He was brought to the hospital for examination; other than a bruise from the boulder, he’s all right. The police wanted the boy’s father to file a complaint, but he didn’t want to.
Living for years under the threat of violence from the neighboring settlers gives rise to many fears and apprehensions which only seldom turn out to be unjustified.
The occupation routine. We didn’t make it to Hebron today.
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
Michal TsadikJan-29-2026Umm al-Khair - a security risk for Carmel settlers
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