Zanuta - children have to cross Route 60 on their way to school

Place:

Sansana (Meitar Crossing)

South Hebron Hills

Observers:

Smadar (reporting), Muhammad (photographing). Editor: Mira Balaban; Translator: Natanya

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May-7-2023

Morning

זנותא - ילדים חוצים את כביש 60 בדרכם לבית הספר

Zanuta – children cross Route 60 on their way to school

Photo:

Muhammad D

Meitar crossing: Both lots are full.

Route 317:

A visit to Abu Safi, in Wadi Radim, south of Asael - one of a number of illegal outposts in the south of Mount Hebron, which the government recently announced would be legalized.

His and Nauris’ eldest son is getting married. Great joy. The wedding will be in Samu’. The party will be held at their home, the day before the wedding, at the end of next week.

To our question about what has been going on lately, Abu Safi says that Israel Kaplan, from the farm of Mikneh-Yehuda near Asael, has not appeared in his area recently. The army and the police haven't visited his territory for a long time, and that's a good thing.

We continued to Zanota, near the Meitarim industrial area. The village lies on both sides of Highway 60. Faiz and three of his grown-up sons say that Yinon from the nearby Meitarim Farm, and Eliashiv Nahum from the Yehuda Farm, which is across Highway 60, opposite the Sham’ah settlement, regularly take over plots of land from Zanota families. The takeover is supported openly or silently by the security forces (we have written about this several times, in the previous reports). Therefore, they stopped filing complaints. In any case, there is no handling of the complaints they submitted. An unbearable and outrageous situation, which characterizes this entire area.

Zanota has a school, which is located in the eastern part of the village (near the Meitarim area) and serves the children of the village as well as those of the area (for example, Abu Safi's children study there). The village children from the other side of Route 60, have to cross this wide and busy road on their way to school, and back: a really dangerous situation.

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

בדרך לרהווה - עם 2 הפועלים הפלסטינים שעובדים במפעל בשדרות

Apr-14-2024

Muhammad D.

On the way to Rahwe - With the 2 Palestinian workers who work at the factory in Sderot

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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