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Southern Hebron Mountains: A stressful shift

Observers: Hagit Back (report, photos)
May-19-2021
| Morning

I went out to this vigil filled with fear and tension. A planned war, timed, igniting a fire intended to save the head of a corrupt Prime Minister. I remind myself of the mantra: “Palestinians must see and hear a different kind of Israelis” and went ahead.

At Meitar checkpoint there is much less traffic than usual. Only people over 45 years of age and holders of farm work permits are allowed through.

The hole in the fence through which masses of Palestinians used to pass – is closed now.

We drove all along the roads and at every junction we saw the remains of yesterday’s protests.

At Beit Anoun junction passersby speak of massive use of rubber-coated steel pellets and teargas grenades. About 20 people have been arrested and there are many wounded.

When will things be good? They ask.

Haniya and Netanyahu are good friends… I quote A.: there’s no problem to just go on fighting.

We passed the remnants of the riots at Bani Naim, where a young boy was killed by a rubber-coated bullet. The gate to Yatta from Zif junction has been closed for a week now. Every evening or afternoon riots resume.

A hearty notice of the erection of a new Jewish settler-colony inside Hebron decorates the bus stops of the South Hebron Hills settler-colonies.

 

 

  • 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

       

       

      מדבקה של אירגון האוכל העולמי (WFP) בכניסה למכולת בתוואני
      Smadar Becker
      Dec-14-2025
      A World Food Program (WFP) sticker at the entrance to a grocery store in Tuwani
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