South Hebron Hills - Route 317, all entrances and exits to the villages are blocked

Place:

Sansana (Meitar Crossing)

South Hebron Hills

Observers:

Raya Y. (Reporting and photographing) and Muhammad; Translator: Natanya

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Dec-27-2023

Morning

כביש 317 - כל הכניסות והיציאות לכפרים חסומות

All the entrances and exits to the villages along Route 317 are closed

Photo:

Raya Yeor

After crossing the Meitar barrier we met six Palestinian labourers working in Israe who inform us that they received a special permit and are therefore allowed to enter Israel for work purposes. A shuttle comes to pick them up and they stay in Israel for two or three days, return to their home by shuttle to Dahariya, and so it goes on. Two of them work in a bakery in Kiryat Gat. Two work in an essential factory, and two in construction.

At the entrance to Zanuta a white military vehicle (van) stands, no one leaves or comes to the village. Part of Zanuta's school looks completely destroyed from a distance.

Further down the road on Route317, all entrances and exits to the villages are blocked along the road.

Nasser tells us that he photographed one of the shepherds in the area who passed by the road and was arrested by the army. The shepherd was arrested because he did not agree to leave with the sheep.

Id from Umm Al Kheir informs us that they came to destroy one of their houses and also arrested one of the men from Tha’la.

On the way back on road 60 we saw the closed entrances to all the villages.

Location Description

Yata / Southern Hebron hills

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Yatta is a city located in the South Hebron Hills region. It is located in the border zone between the fertile area of Hebron and its surroundings and the desert of the Hebron Hills. Yatta has about 64,000 inhabitants. The surrounding villages are called Masafar 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, a number of 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 the withholding of 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. Road blocks 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

א-תוואני - מתנדבים מקבוצת הכפרים כשמשטרה וחיילים הגיעו

Apr-24-2024

Muhammad D.

At-Tuwani – volunteers from the Villages Group confronting the police and army

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Meitar

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Sansana (Meitar Crossing)

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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 (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