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Sansana (Meitar Crossing), South Hebron Hills, Zif Junction

Observers: Nina and Hagit S.S; Translation: Natanya
Jun-06-2018
| Morning

On the road from of Meitarcheckpoint – the entrances to the villages of Samoa, Abda, El Fawwar are open

Along the road there are many new signs designed to emphasize, warn, deter and threaten the entry into Area A. 

We went to see the vineyard of Abu Na’im, one of those who have been harassed by Jewish terrorists

Horrible: the stumps of the vines which were cut off systematically, apparently with an electric saw, and since it has been several days since then – the sight is even more shocking: the whole vineyard is brown, dry, the vines still hang on the wires, like hanging bodies left behind. An area of 11 dunams! The owner has another part of a vineyard which also underwent “treatment”, and a total of 1000 vines were cut. We had seen in some of them the beginning of a bloom at the bottom of the stem, which means that even if they are rehabilitated they will need to be grafted, and in any case it will take at least 4 years.

On the edge of the vineyard we saw the graffiti that the vandals had left behind: “Enough of  agricultural terror – we will get everywhere”.

We passed the village of Dirat, that also suffered from these Jewish terroists: Here they burned 30 straw bundles of the value of NIS 10,000, and here too the same graffiti.

The summer and the heat arrived, the air conditioner in the car was not working properly. Since  we had not visited Zif‘s grocery store for a long time, we stopped to say salam aleikum and get cold drinks, “potato-straight-from-the-field”, Arab cucumbers and fresh marrows.

Photo: Hagit Sar Shalom
  • 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
  • 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

       

       

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  • Zif Junction

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    • Zif Junction located on the crossroads that directs towards Road 356 to Yata. Yata is the district city of the southern Hebron Mountains. Usually, this junction is open to traffic. The nearby pillbox is unmanned. But the army and police are present occasionally, sometimes setting up a checkpoint and sometimes detaining residents from the big city. Often,  the Israeli policemen inspect vehicles and distribute driving reports to Palestinian vehicles. s
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