Back to reports search page

Hebron, Sansana (Meitar Crossing), South Hebron Hills

Observers: Hagit B., Yael Z.; Translator: Natanya
Apr-30-2017
| Morning

Since last night there has been a closure on the West Bank. We came to the checkpoint of Meitar and except for trucks of sand which worked on the back to back formula we saw no other cars. The parking area is empty. Only the devoted cleaner is busy sweeping up the many plastic bags and this time more easily and no one bothering him.

There is little army presence on road 60 but soldiers guard the entrance to Dahariya and Hebron.

On the other hand there are many army vehicles both openly and hidden . They wait at the crossroads for Palestinian cars which do not stop where the side roads meet the main road and they give out reports.

The building at Sham’ah and Eshtamoa is progressing quickly. The number of new buildings is greater than the number of houses and caravans which are already there and no one stops them.

Hebron is quiet and preparing for Independence Day (Yom Ha’atzmaut): flags everywhere and buses filled with soldiers who descend at the Cave of the Patriarchs. Maybe they are being given a briefing before the holiday??

There are few tourists coming to the Cave of the Patriarchs and one visit of Breaking the Silence.

In the neighborhood of Kapisha a tractor works on the road making holes which will probably form part of the new checkpoint. It is nearer to the entrance in the direction of Kiryat Arba. This leaves all the shops and garages including Azzam on the Palestinian side. The settlers will have to look  for other cheap garages and these garages will lose their clientele.

We went up to Tel Rumeida. The hut which was under the turning to the Jewish neighborhood has been moved up. It is strengthened by a rolling checkpoint which shuts the ascent to the cemeteries. It is a heavy memorial to the incident with Elor Azariah.  At our request the soldier opened  the road so  that we could go up to see the grave of Bnayah Sarel, one of the fallen of Zuk Eitan and a son of Hebron. So this way we could see the preparations for the Memorial day in the army area which was proclaimed after his fall in the cemetery of the victims of the pogrom in 1929. Two israeli flags fly high over the neighborhood. The cemetry is closed until the actual ceremony.

unnamed_18.jpg

A little higher up, at the top of the hill, are the archaeological digs. The orchard of a Palestinian has been sacrificed in the interests of our search for our roots. The area if fenced but not closed. Each excavation was delineated by a metal fence, and it was clear that the mud-brick walls, the steps and the wall had long been coated, probably in order to preserve them better. There is no sign in the area and we have not been able to see any signs of the Jewishness of the place.

unnamed (1)_15.jpg

We went home quickly . The roads are empty and sad.

  • Hebron

    See all reports for this place
    • 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:

       

      1. Bet Hameriva CP- manned with a pillbox
      2. Kapisha quarter CP (the northern side of Zion axis) - manned with a pillbox
      3. The 160 turn CP (the southern side of Zion axis) - manned with a pillbox
      4. Avraham Avinu quarter - watch station
      5. The pharmacy CP - checking inside a caravan with a magnometer
      6. Tarpat (1929) CP - checking inside a caravan with a magnometer
      7. Tel Rumeida CP - guarding station
      8. Beit Hadassah CP - guarding station

      Three checkpoints around the Tomb of the Patriarchs

      חברון - יוסרי ג'אבר וחלק ממשפחתו
      Raya Yeor
      Dec-18-2025
      Hebron - Yusri Jaber and part of his family
  • 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

       

       

      דרום הר חברון, בית חגי: סוללים דרך ביטחון פנימית
      Muhammad
      Feb-24-2026
      South Hebron Hill, Beit Hagai: Paving an internal security road
Donate