At-Tuwani - building the road to Karmil

Place:

A-Tuwani

South Hebron Hills

Observers:

Michal; Translator: Natanya

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Jun-1-2023

Morning

At-Tuwani – building the paved road to Karmil

Photo:

Muhammad D

We drove to At-Tuwani because Nasser Adara told Muhammad about the attempt to prevent the Palestinians from constructing a road by the security forces.

We were happy to meet there the people of the Village group, Ehud, Erela , Yair and another member whose name I forgot to ask.

Nasser tells about a section of the road to Carmil that they are trying to pave with their own hands because it is full of potholes and most of it is already in such condition that cars cannot drive on it without serious damage both to the vehicle and that passengers.

There are 1.5 km left and they are paving it by hand with Eckerstein-like tiles because they are not allowed to come with engineering machines that tar etc. as they do on the roads of the settlements.

Volunteers sit on the ground and slowly pave a road that will be suitable for the passage of disenfranchised people, non-Jews.

So, 3 days before we came, the people of the DCO came and asked them to stop work.

Understanding your needs, they say to Nasser, you are right, but you need to get permission from a superior, his name is Salim.

They behaved well, he says. They didn't destroy what we did, but we were required to stop until Salim approves, if he approves.

Excuse me, he says as if he's about to gag, "It's because of the occupation"

Roads are immediately paved for all the settlements, why not for us?

Everyone tells me that I should stop asking why so that I don't get stupid answers for my "stupid" question.

That's it, they planned a demonstration on Friday.

I hope they didn't do it on the terribly hot Shabbat that was yesterday, but we will be in touch with them and try to help them in their struggle.

A chronicle of evil masquerading as a move to maintain law and order.

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

רהווה - ככה חיה משפחת אבו שארח' ברהווה בוואדי למרגלות ההתנחלות טנא עומרים

Apr-25-2024

Michal Tsadik

Rahwa - this is how the Abu Sharakh family lives in the Wadi at the foot of the Tene Omarim settlement

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At-Tuwani

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The locals came to At-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 at-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 20th 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 at-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 at-Tuwani there are several families who have returned to the caves due to the incessant demolitions of the civil administration info-icon (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. at-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

Apr-25-2024

Michal Tsadik

Rahwa - the building they have a demolition order on

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