Sansana (Meitar Crossing), South Hebron Hills, Sun 23.12.12, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
Meitar-Sansana crossing
The crossing is very congested at this hour on a Sunday morning. Laborers stand on both sides of the checkpoint, waiting for their employers on the Israeli side and still going through on the Palestinian side. We went over to them. It turned out that six laborers had just had their crossing permits confiscated until 08:00 because of “inappropriate behavior.” A man who’d tried to help them, but somehow didn't manage the language – missing Arabic here, Hebrew, there – requested our assistance. We asked to speak to the person in charge of security; the response was immediate. He told us they tried to bypass the line, which was long [4200 people crossed within three hours!], by climbing on the fence. Pandemonium ensued, they were pulled out and their permits confiscated temporarily, until 08:00, and they’ll lose a day of work. We asked to ease their punishment. The head security person agreed, promised to return the permits immediately so they could earn a living and be able to work in Israel.
Southern Hebron Hills
We continued on Highway 317. An unusually tall guard tower at the entrance to Livneh, an overt expression of conquest and dominion. Nearby as well as farther away the area is dotted with small plots of plowed land in preparation for the winter rains.
We met children on the way to el-Faqra. It turned out there’s school today so we went to the Palestinian village of Sussiya to watch teachers from Yatta and the surrounding area go through on their way to work. The crossing, on the Yatta-Sussiya road, adjoins a military base. The teachers’ vehicle goes through with no delay, stops to wish us good morning and drives on. It’s already past 08:00, so we return.
A glance at the Jewish Sussiya: a spacious neighborhood is under construction, and there’s also infrastructure in place for additional construction.
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
Smadar BeckerMay-31-2026The new outpost next to Qawawis, on Highway 317
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