South Hebron Hills - the occupation is visible everywhere
At the Meitar barrier near the empty parking lot, a Palestinian is ploughing his land. Opposite on Route 60 is parked a military jeep with a soldier in it. Is there a connection between the 2 things? Probably not.
We passed by Zanuta, the village from which about 250 villagers were expelled. Cultivated areas. You can notice the budding of wheat or barley. According to Muhammad (Faris already informed him), that settlers took ownership, and they were the ones who sowed.
Zanuta’s school, which used to serve as an example, and with beautiful paintings decorating its walls, is burned. It’s hard to see.
A sticker with the words “stop supporting the enemy” on the side of the road near Qawawis near Sha‘ab al Batum.
About 100 meters before the entrance to At-Tuwani, on the left side, there is a van with several soldiers in it. They block the entrance to El Carmel with stones. They notice us and ask us to stop at the entrance to At-Tuwani. Four reservists, dressed from head to toe in all possible equipment, ask where we are going. Muhammad and I replied: “At-Tuwani.” One of them informs us that it is a fire zone and we are not allowed to enter. I tell him, we have friends here and we are allowed to enter.
For some reason, as I told him this, he said: “Well done” (with disdain) and we continued on our way. The destination was Mufaqara. We drove through At-Tuwani because the entrance next to the Avigayil settlement is blocked. We brought baby carriage and clothes.
The young children who were supposed to go to school are at home. Fadel is afraid of what the settlers from Abigayil and Havat Ma’on, who pass by several times a day, might do to the children.
3 and a half months ago two twin granddaughters were born to Fadel, the daughters of his son. One of them, Talin, was born with a deformity that requires a breathing tube that is attached to her throat. The cost of the device is NIS 9,500, which makes it very difficult for the family.
Fadel says that he goes down to his territory near Avigayil, but every time the settler from the new outpost (originally from the bus farm), drives him away.
The best thing is to plough to the east where the settler does not get to.
They buy groceries once a week in in Yatta. They are not always allowed to enter. Abdu, the son, says that a week ago, he came back from Yatta riding the donkey with groceries for the family and the army stopped him at the exit from Al karmil and he had to wait for hours, until they left the checkpoint.
They have about 70 head of sheep. Since it is not possible to feed them from what they grew in the past, they buy sacks of barley. The price of the bag is NIS 75, which is enough for one day.
During our visit, we could hear the pounding of hammers and an ATV driving back and forth from the direction of the outpost that was established a few months ago. It can also be seen from the other side, from the house of Laila and Muhammad from Sha‘ab al Butum. The place is developing rapidly.
In the distance we notice Nasser Adra’s car, which transports the students of the villages back and forth to the school in At-Tuwani, in the morning and in the afternoon. We continue to At-Tuwani to meet Basel Adra.
On our way again we see four nearby outposts to the east of Ma’on Farm. Abu Hummus, the well-known activist from Isawiya, East Jerusalem, visits Bassel. The threat of a deportation order hangs over his head. With him came other activists we know who brought food packages to distribute in the area.
On the way back on Route 60, we saw two bulldozers working on leveling a road near Shabtai Farm (near the Tene Omarim settlement).
The occupation is visible everywhere.
A-Tuwani
See all reports for this place-
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
Yael ZoranMay-22-2025The bumpy road to Ata's house
-
South Hebron Hills
See all reports for this place-
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
Yael ZoranMay-22-2025The bumpy road to Ata's house
-
