Hebron: nothing new with the occupation at the moment. The Palestinians are building. The Jews are destroying
The Southern Hebron Hills were designated a military firing area in the early 1980’s. Since then, settlements and illegal outposts have been established there. The army continues its efforts to transfer the inhabitants of the area.
Many structures in Khirbet Mufaqra (the cave village Umm al Faqra) have been demolished under the auspices of the destructive Israeli occupation bureaucracy. The bureaucratic process creating a wave of demolitions has been going on much longer: in the spring of 2000 Palestinian residents of the village returned after having been expelled in the winter of 1999. The Supreme Court’s interim order that allowed their return prevents them from building anything until a final decision is issued. The years passed and a final decision has not yet arrived. The construction freeze has prevented any possible development in Khirbet Mufaqra, including connecting to the electrical grid.
About ten years ago the inhabitants of Khirbet Mufaqra began to violate the freeze and dared construct a small stone mosque for the residents’ use. At the same time Mahmud Hamadeh, the village mukhtar, added a two-room structure above his cave, for his extended family. The struggle to build has continued since, in the face of repeated demolitions by the army and the civil administration.
We visited today to bring clothing that had been collected for the residents. The European Union has adopted the village and provided water tanks and solar panels.
They continue trying to build, and their struggle to preserve their way of life is admirable.
We then drove on to Hebron. There’s nothing new with the occupation at present.
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
Raya YeorDec-18-2025Hebron - Yusri Jaber and part of his family
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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
MuhammadFeb-24-2026South Hebron Hill, Beit Hagai: Paving an internal security road
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