Widening of Highway 60: Trees and agricultural crops belonging to Palestinians are being removed
- Israel flags dominate the road as early as the Yatir locality, which had been moved from its original site inside Israel-proper into the West Bank. The music in the car reminds us that we are in the West Bank: The Israeli classical music station keeps changing with random Palestinian stations on the same wavelength.
- The widening of Route 60: on both sides of the road, Palestinian trees and farm crops are being uprooted, 13 meters on each side. People prefer do it themselves, as to be able to replant them elsewhere. Thus, placing the Israel flags on both sides of the road becomes really significant, marking it as a Jewish-Israeli road…
3. We visit the Jaber family near the Kiryat Arba Junction. We meet A., who lives across the road and comes to meet us. Muhammad gives him products bought with members’ donations. A. will inform Muhammad of a medication’s name for his wife, which she needs and is not available here.
A. speaks on the phone with Naomi Betzer – they have been friends since 1998, days of Peace Now and Yossi Sarid. In the past, aided by the B’Tselem organization, A. managed to postpone the demolition order of his home which has been standing not far from the road since before 1982. Now the Israeli authorities are issuing demolition orders even for houses inside Area B. Colonists with their flocks enter privately-owned Palestinian areas around Kiryat Arba colony (adjacent to Hebron).
A. has got application forms to the DCO requesting remuneration for the lands confiscated to widen the road, and asks us to help him in this matter.
4. We continue to M. at Tarqumiya. There are Israel flags all along road 35 as well. I give her the money collected from members by Rachel Afek. She shows me a video of MK Rabbi Gil’ad Kariv’s visit, as she showed him the houses and area taken over by colonists inside Area B.
Location Description
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
Muhammad D.May-13-2026Hebron - Request for compensation for land expropriation
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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
Muhammad D.Jun-7-2026A stone placed by settlers on the road leading to the Thiel family's territory in Rahwa
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Tarqumiya CP
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The Tarqumiya Checkpoint is one of the largest and busiest checkpoints where people and goods cross into Israel. It is located on the Separation Barrier close to the Green Line, on Road 35 (connecting Beer Sheva and Hebron). It is run by the Israel Defense Ministry’s Crossings Administration with civilian secuirty companies running the day to day operations. The checkpoint is indeed open to vehicles in both directions 24/7, but Palestinians are prevented from crossing in vehicles, except in special cases. MachsomWatch activists visit the checkpoint as it opens at 3:45 am, in order to observe the daily passage of nearly 10,000 Palestinian workers. The workers arrive from throughout the Southern West Bank. Our activists report on the tremendous overcrowding at this checkpoint; they have observed young men climbing and scrambling on the fences and roofs of the ‘access cages’. This is how the work day begins for those who ‘build the land of Israel’. updated November 2019
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