Umm Fakra in the Southern Hebron Hills

We drove to see the Meitar checkpoint after they had finished renovating it.

A year ago, the manager of the checkpoint promised us that they would build a modern and decent terminal which would look the way one should for human beings. But no such thing was done. Again fences and pens, the architecture like that of East Germany, endless cameras everywhere and lastly  the feminine voice of the big brother's, female soldiers.

There's a lot of filth around. Nothing that shows respects for people who come every morning to do everything for us, the work which the people of Israel do not want to do. An ugly and estranged place.

We have reported that there were demolitions again.

This time in Umm Fukra, it is not far from the Ma'on settlement.

Once again we went to meet Nasser from a-tuwani, who with his friends established about 10 years ago an organisation of people from 5 of the villages in the area: Umm Tuba,  Rakis.  Umm Fakra,  Fakhis and Halat el Deba. 

Some of them are cave dwellers and have been harassed by the Civil Administration and the settlers. They were required to submit master plans which were never approved, of course, while  Maon, Carmel, Sussia and Shama settlements received permission and are thriving and expanding all the time. The organization is called: PASC Protection and sumud committee and they formed it to support and help organize their lives.

Many fled from fear and lived in Yatta and they succeeded in helping them to go back and renovate the caves and live

On their land which has belonged them hundreds of years. There are 36 caves that need to be renovated. The area has been abandoned by many people since 2001 and now the families are slowly returning

Poor, miserable Umm Fkra where again the army destroyed a temporary structure that was used for hunting.

Nasser takes us to a renovated cave that serves as a weekly gathering place for this committee.