The Stolen Childhood of Palestinian Kids
Following Galia’s previous visit with Michal and Semadar in the southern Hebron Mountains, Galia wanted to interview children who grew up in the shadow of the occupation and whose experiences almost every day are unique to them. Galia wanted to interview the Tuba children who come to the school in A-Tuwani every morning, accompanied by the army, but the army also does not deter the settlers from Maon, the “Heroes”, from harassing the children on their way or back from school.
At the Meitar checkpoint, the parking lot was very crowded, which indicates a return to a certain routine.
We first drove to A-Tuwani on Route 317 to pick up Ali Awad who served as our interpreter. Sujud, whom Galia interviewed, is his cousin.
On the way we saw iron constructions built about two weeks earlier by many industrious settlers. It turns out that they are going to plant a vineyard there. It is worthwhile to find out whose lands these are and what the status is.
A-Tuba is a village located in Fire Area 918, near Maon and Hawat Maon. Seven families live in the village in caves, buildings and tents. The shortest route from Tuba to A-Tawani passes near Havat Maon. This road is closed to the people of Tuba and instead of two kilometers, the bypass road is 15 km long and since there is no running water to Tuba, each trip to fetch water in containers is longer. When walking around villages in the southern Hebron Mountains it sometimes seems like their whole life revolves around the water. The truth is that there is no life without water which only for Israelis is not a problem.
The children of Tuba studying in A-Tuwani need an army escort on the way to school. They are terrified of the settlers because of their experiences. It is possible to read about this through the eyes of Sujud whom Galia Oz described in an article that appeared in Haaretz on June 2. 2021.
https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-the-stolen-childhood-of-palestinian-kids-1.9961420
I will try to describe Sujud’s living environment. An arid place with almost no shade, a wind turbine at the entrance to the village and solar panels are the ones that supply the electricity to the village. The water transport system includes a tractor, tanks and probably sometimes a donkey, and are the only vehicles available and accessible to residents. Then the water is transferred to other containers from which pipes come out for home use. Even this sophisticated system is so dangerous that the military and civilian administration destroys it from time to time. One lone tree gives shade and of course there is a water tank next to the house. And the dog and the chickens also found a small, shady corner to huddle in.
It seems to be an “enlightened occupation.”
A-Tuwani
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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
Smadar BeckerMay-31-2026The new outpost next to Qawawis, on Highway 317
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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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