Tuba – settlers enter the houses, causing havoc, in the presence of soldiers
On Tuesday, reports were received of an army-sponsored settler invasion of houses in Tuba (neighboring a residential farm). We wanted to hear about it first-hand, but since the road to the village of Tuba requires a front-wheel drive vehicle and the jeep was not available, we went to At-Tuwani to interview the people who were present at the event.
Sitting over a cup of coffee on the balcony of Nasser al-Adara. His son Bassel, who writes for Siha Mekomit, was present at the event in Tuba and even took a picture.
Bassel was unable to attend, but two Italian volunteers from the Operation Dove organization came to be interviewed.
They have come for a few months, live in a house in At-Tuwani overlooking the main road (317). The people of the villages in the area call them for help such as accompanying the shepherds (at this time in the early morning and again towards sunset), and accompanying the children on their way to school, etc. That’s how they were called to the event in Tuba.
The volunteer Max says: three settlers, one of them armed with a rifle, came from the direction of the settlement to the houses near the settlement on the eastern slope of the hill and thus were hidden from the access road to the village. The three settlers entered the house of Salah (?) and Ali Awwad. In each of the houses, they started rummaging through cupboards, throwing chairs and shouting at the members of the family. Their faces are open, not frightened by the phones of the members of the house who took pictures of them. The Italian volunteers were called by the Palestinians and filmed everything that was happening. Someone called the army, and then the armed settler left. The army arrived, entered the houses but the soldiers stood aside and allowed the settlers, who in the meantime had finished the pogrom, to march to the extreme house in the village, the one closest to the access road. At the same time, they blocked the way there for the Italian volunteers and even took Max, who was filming, to the military vehicle. There they took his passport and took a picture with their phone. Max claims that they sent the photos to some WhatsApp group. He was not afraid, because he understood that only the police could detain him and the soldiers probably did not call the police. Maybe they didn’t pass on his details either, and in the end, they released him. In the meantime, Jewish activists arrived at the extreme house, bypassing the roadblocks placed by the army on the access road to the village on foot.
The incident probably ended when the settlers finished scaring the villagers and left, and the army left as well.
More on Route 317
On the way down to Wadi Radim (which leads to the house of Abu Safi and his neighbour) you see new piles of dirt blocking the dirt road towards Abu Safi, and also the road that goes under the road towards his fields, so that the herds cannot pass.
Above the wadi lies the Mikne Yehuda farm, owned by Israel Kaplan (who harasses Abu Safi): a new dirt road was opened in the southeast direction, bypassing the hill of the farm and continuing towards other areas that he apparently intends to occupy.
Another obstruction is visible on the western side of the village of Zanuta. This dirt road leads, along three kilometres, to Dahariya. The blockade requires the village’s vehicles to travel by long and roundabout routes.
Nasser al-Adara tells of another way of harassment from the settlers “school”: they scatter small spikes (the size of 10) on the dirt roads to the villages and cause punctures in the wheels of the Palestinians’ private cars and tractors.
Meitar Pass: The parking lot on both sides of Highway 60 is full. Two buses were seen which brought prisoners’ families to visit prisons in Israel.
A-Tuwani
See all reports for this place-
A-Tuwani
The locals came to a-Tuwani during the 20th century from the village of Yatta. They settled in abandoned ruins, utilizing the arable land, pastures for grazing sheep and the abundance of natural caves for habitation. The residents who settled in the caves came from families who could not purchase land for houses in the mother villages, as well as shepherds who did not have enough land to graze. They were joined by clan members who quarreled with other families in the mother locality.
Some of the residents today live in concrete buildings built above the caves. In the area of the village are several water cisterns and an ancient water well called 'Ein a-Tuwani. Local residents are forced to buy water in containers and transport them through many road blocks to the village. With the help of international organizations, an electrical system was installed in the village. In the late 90s of the 20tTh century, an elementary school was established in the serving several small villages in the area.
In 2004, MachsomWatch began visiting and reporting from the Khirbet Tuwani cave village, which suffers badly from the settlers of nearby outposts, and especially from the extremist Ma'on outpost. . The settlers contaminate cisterns, poison the flocks and uproot trees.Particularly notable is the harassment of children from the surrounding villages on their way to school in a-Tuwani, so much so that military escort of children is required to separate them from the attackers (this was arranged following an initiative of the organization's members). In the past year, the escort has been without the vital presence of overseas volunteers.
Near a-Tuwani there are several families who have returned to the caves due to the incessant demolitions of the civil administration (as there is a total construction ban in all of area C). Destroyed are not only residential and agricultural buildings, but also water pipes, machinery. Even water cisterns are clogged up. a-Tuwani residents have created an association for non-violent demolition protests, but in the past year the army’s harsh harassment and settler violence have intensified and escalated. The incident of the small generator confiscation, which left a young man paralyzed, is one of many examples - any legitimate protection of property rights leads to violence and even shootings by the army and the civil administration.
Updated April 2022
MuhammadFeb-24-2026South Hebron Hill, Beit Hagai: Paving an internal security road
-
Meitar checkpoint / Sansana
See all reports for this place-
Meitar Checkpoint / Sansana 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 / DCL / DCL / DCL (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
-
South Hebron Hills
See all reports for this place-
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
-