Umm al-Kheir - we have no hope, no future, we are suffocated and despairing
The purpose of today’s shift was to visit Umm al-Kheir and meet with Eid al-Hadalin and his cousin Khalil, the head of the village, whose homes had been twice demolished in the last months, and to bring supplies to be distributed by him to those in need.
But first we drove along Route 60 to see which checkpoints were open/closed. There are already some Palestinian cars at the Meitar checkpoint. Few enter to work in Israel, as we have seen. Where, later.
The Mitzpe Eshtamoa outpost, in front of the old Shima settlement is developing, growing and establishing itself. M says that this construction is carried out by Palestinian workers. For some reason they get entry permits. At the entrance to Samu’ the gate is open.
The entrance to Dahariya has been closed since October 7, like every entrance to a Palestinian settlement, which is adjacent to an Israeli settlement. Like this at the foot of the settlement Otniel across the road on the hill. There, cars are parked on both sides of the yellow gate, back-to-back it is called. This is the way as goods and people are moved from side to side.
In Karama the gate is closed.
At the entrance to Abda there is a new, closed gate. Cars back to back on both sides of it. At the Dura-al-Fawwar intersection, only the entrance to Dura is open.
The entrance to Hebron, which is at the foot of the Beit Hagai settlement, has also been closed for the same reason since October 7.
Qilqis junction is closed. At the entrance to Hebron there are many people walking, a long distance from side to side and crossing the road, including old people, disabled students. Cars as above. At the Sheep Junction, the checkpoint at the entrance to Hebron through the Hebron Stone Quarries is open.
From there we turned right to Route 317, to go through the Zif intersection and buy groceries for the people of Umm al-Kheir.
At the Zif junction the Yatta gate is closed. IDF vehicles are driving around. There were Palestinian press teams there and the IDF is checking who and what.
So, we shopped at the grocery store there, loaded up and drove to Umm al-Kheir. Also, on the way after the Zif intersection, many piles of dirt and stones along the road to block any way to go to Yatta. Only at the entrance to Khalet al-May is the yellow gate open.
Eid and Khalil and other people from the village are waiting for us in the beautiful social centre they established there with the help of donors from abroad. Eid is smiling, beautiful, his eyes light up as usual, but he says that inside he is completely sad and discouraged. After twice seeing the ruins of 11 houses of the family members. in storage bins.
“I don’t know what will happen, so I’m not rebuilding the house. You know that on the night of the Iranian missiles I was in the US. I met with senators regarding the ruins and my wife and 4 daughters were in the shack. Everyone with us is exposed to danger and in Carmel everyone has shelters and protections. Do you think they came to invite the villagers to them?” A rhetorical question of course.
He shows me a white car on the path to the Carmel settlement. “Do you see? This is the new military security coordinator, Nave. Standing and watching us all the time, maybe he will also come to you soon to check who you are, as he does all the time (he didn’t come during the meeting). He is very dedicated to his job,” says Eid ironically, “even in Arabic there is an expression: ‘a new broom makes a good broom’. He has recently installed 3 new hidden cameras all pointed at us in addition to what they have had for a long time. I told him that the cameras could damage the honour of our wives and he explains that it is for our benefit, if they come from Hamas, they will take over them and want to kill us all.”
“So, it’s good that there are cameras,” Eid smiles a sad smile. “They are suffocating us from all sides. Almost every day, boys sent by Shimon Atiya from the new hilltop farm adjacent to their territory, come and cut the water pipe, which we legally received from Mekorot (the Israeli Water Company), or pour out the water we collect for the sheep. When they pour the water out, the rioters say that they are guarding the lands of Carmel.
“Who guards our lands?” Eid asks with a sad smile. “When the police come, they do nothing but say a few words just to note that they have come.
“I am discouraged,” he says, “we have no hope or future when the state violates its laws. The DCO destroyed houses in spite of the ruling of the High Court. And now we are not allowed to graze our herds in our territory, the water pipes are constantly being broken. The criminals are not arrested, or punished, the settlers do as they please.”
The whole situation which was difficult before has gotten worse since 7/10 and under the auspices of the prevailing atmosphere in Israel and with the backing of Smotrich and Ben Gvir the settlers are the masters of this No Men’s Land. I was in the US Congress on our issue. There too they are busy with the matter and our lawyer is helping us present the illegal actions of the Israeli government against the rulings of the High Court.” (An attached video that reflects the behavior of the youth of the hills there as everyday practices with the water pipes).
“You see,” says Eid, “even though the settlers broke the laws here, I don’t start rebuilding my destroyed house because I don’t know what will happen. We have no hope, no future, we are suffocated and desperate.”
Location Description
Dura Al-Fawwar Junction
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Junction on Route 60: west - the town of El Dura, east - the Al Fawwar refugee camp. There is a manned pillbox at the junction. From time to time the army sets up flying checkpoints at the entrance to El Fawwar and Al Dura. Al-Fawwar is a large refugee camp (7,000 inhabitants in 2007) established in 1949 to accommodate Palestinian refugees from Be'er Sheva and Beit Jubrin and environs. There are many incidents of stone-throwing. In the vicinity of the pillbox there are excellent agricultural areas, Farmers set up stalls adjacent to the plots close to the road. In recent months the civil administration has set up dirt embankments thereby blocking access to the stalls, and making it impossible for the farmers to sell their vegetables. Updated April 2021, Michal T.
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Hakvasim (sheep) Junction
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One of the roadblocks (earthworks, rocks, concrete blocks or iron gates) that prevent transit of vehicles to Route 60 in the southern West Bank and block the southern entrance to Hebron. A manned pillbox supervises the place.
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Hebron
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According to Wye Plantation Accords (1997), Hebron is divided in two: H1 is under Palestinian Authority control, H2 is under Israeli control. In Hebron there are 170,000 Palestinian citizens, 60,000 of them in H2. Between the two areas are permanent checkpoints, manned at all hours, preventing Palestinian movement between them and controlling passage of permit holders such as teachers and schoolchildren. Some 800 Jews live in Avraham Avinu Quarter and Tel Rumeida, on Givat HaAvot and in the wholesale market.
Checkpoints observed in H2:
- Bet Hameriva CP- manned with a pillbox
- Kapisha quarter CP (the northern side of Zion axis) - manned with a pillbox
- The 160 turn CP (the southern side of Zion axis) - manned with a pillbox
- Avraham Avinu quarter - watch station
- The pharmacy CP - checking inside a caravan with a magnometer
- Tarpat (1929) CP - checking inside a caravan with a magnometer
- Tel Rumeida CP - guarding station
- Beit Hadassah CP - guarding station
Three checkpoints around the Tomb of the Patriarchs
Michal TsadikOct-15-2024Hebron - Ata's grandchildren are enjoying the umbrellas we brought
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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
Daphna JungMar-16-2025Simia: Farhan and his wife
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Umm al-Kheir
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Umm al-Kheir
A Palestinian village in the southern Hebron governorate, populated by five families. The Palestinian residents settled there decades ago, after Israel expelled them from the Arad desert and purchased the land from the residents of the Palestinian village of Yatta. The village suffers from the violence of nearby Carmel settlers, from water shortage and is subject to frequent demolition of buildings by the Civil Administration.
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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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