Hebron – the settlers are taking over properties, piece by piece

Meitar crossing: It is Ramadan, so the Palestinian workers return early from work. The parking lot on the Palestinian side is full.

Route 60

The traffic is lively, it seems more than usual, probably because of Ramadan.  There are observation posts of the army at various points, besides the usual checkpoints.

Hebron

We entered through the industrial area, and turned to look at the outpost on Givat Gal, which is now known as the Gal neighbourhood of Kiryat Arba. According to documentation, probably by the settlers, on the topographical map website, Amud Anan (https://amudanan.co.il/), the neighbourhood was established about twenty years ago, and today twenty families live there, with an active synagogue. It is located right next to a Palestinian neighbourhood, and when it was established, its residents claimed that the caravans were built on their land.

We continued our tour through the Jewish neighbourhoods of Hebron. On the Zion route we saw, in front of Beit Hamariva (the house of contention which is called the house of peace by the settlers), a sign for Beit HaTekuma, probably the new acquisition on the Zion route. Later on, we saw an arrow pointing to Beit Heirut (Freedom House) and indeed, on the road connecting the Pharmacy barrier with the market intersection (a former Palestinian market, of course) we saw the sign for Beit Heirut, which is a new purchase. As was to be expected, quite closely, a new position of the army was born.

This is, as we have already called it in the past, the Octopus method: the method of taking over the properties in the centre of Hebron, piece by piece.  They buy a house, place a military post next to it, then close a section of the street to Palestinian cars, and other restrictions, which cause the remaining Palestinian residents to leave.