The South Hebron Hills (SHH) lie south of the city of Hebron, in the West Bank. More than thirty Palestinian villages are located here, around the town of Yatta (see map below). Sadly, these Palestinian communities have been violently targeted by Israeli occupation forces and settlers for many years. HIRN staff, who are on the ground in the area on a daily basis, report that the situation has become increasingly dangerous, volatile and frightening recently, so our support for these villages is vital for them and for all Palestine. You can support them through donations to HIRN
Recent Violence against SHH villages
On 5th January 2021, Israeli military entered the village of Umm al Kheir, and began confiscating Palestinian cars. As an elderly Palestinian man, Haj Suleiman al-Hathaleen, tried to peacefully protest against this harassment, he was run over by an Israeli tow truck, which then drove away without stopping or calling an ambulance. Haj Suleiman died of his injuries two weeks later (report from HIRN). See also [1],[2]
On 12th January 2022, Israeli forces entered the SHH village of Khirbet Al Fakhiet. They proceeded to demolish three homes, sheep shelters and two water wells (report from HIRN).
In November 2021, a group of Israeli settlers carried out a series of attacks on a Palestinian family home in the SHH village of Saddat al Tha’ala. They assaulted the family with batons and pepper spray. Two Palestinian women and a man were hospitalised with broken bones and bruising. Complaints against the settlers were filed with the Israeli police, but no settlers were arrested. Instead, the police arrested two of the Palestinian men for allegedly assaulting the settlers, and fined them 2000 ILS each (about £330, which is a huge sum for these villagers). The Israeli military then declared a curfew in the village, and allowed the settlers to bring 500 sheep to drink for three hours from the Palestinian-owned water cistern, which they had just filled with expensive purchased water, due to lack of rainfall (HIRN). All the water in the West Bank is now under Israeli control and the Israeli water company charges Palestinians inflated prices for water that must be tankered in, whilst settlements are supplied with unlimited, piped water ( See [3] )
Also last November, a large group of settlers carried out a very violent attack on the village of Khallet Al Daba’a. The Israeli army were present but took no action to stop the settlers, who opened fire on the Palestinian villagers wounding several people, three seriously (HIRN) See also [4]
In September 2021, a group of 60 armed settlers attacked the village of Al Mufagara. First they attacked a shepherd and his children, and cut the throats of three of their sheep. Then they stoned a group of children, causing a skull fracture and brain bleed to a three year old boy (HIRN). See also [5]
These are just a few of the most recent attacks on South Hebron Hills villages reported by HIRN, and other organisations.
Understanding the importance of Area C and why the South Hebron Hills matter
The reason for the Israeli violence against these communities is that the South Hebron Hills lie within Area C. Understanding the importance of Area C is central to understanding the occupation. Supporting the Palestinians living here is critical to the future of the whole of Palestine.
Area C is one of the three zones (A, B and C) that were created in the West Bank by the Oslo Accords in 1995. Area C covers more than 60 per cent of the West Bank, and Oslo placed it under full Israeli control, on the basis that Israel would transfer it to the Palestinian Authority (PA) by the year 2000, to complete the establishment of the State of Palestine promised under Oslo’s Two State Solution. However, during the five years of the Oslo talks Israel tripled the number of illegal settlements in the West Bank, all in Area C. And the Israeli Administration has maintained full occupation control here ever since.
And although Palestinian village are designated as Area B (22% of the West Bank), they are dotted like tiny islands in the ocean of Area C. And Area B also comes under Israeli military control. So the Israeli military effectively controls 82% of the West Bank, and Palestinian villages are all very vulnerable to attack by the military and settlers.
Area C contains virtually all the agricultural land, all the potential development land and all the water in the West Bank. And significantly, it is also the only contiguous West Bank zone. (see map below). So it is critical for the Palestinians to obtain control over Area C for communications and freedom of movement, for control over borders and trade, to provide food, water, utilities and housing development for the Palestinian population. It is critical to the very possibility and hope of a Palestinian State.
Israeli policy in the South Hebron Hills
In March 2014, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Palestine, Richard Falk described the Israeli occupation of Palestine as ‘Colonialism, Apartheid and Ethnic Cleansing’. In January 2022, Amnesty International took the major step of recognising the Apartheid in its report Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians: a cruel system of domination and a crime against humanity – Amnesty International. The Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem and the New York based Human Rights Watch had previously recognised the situation as Apartheid.
The nature of the occupation is especially clear in the South Hebron Hills and other parts of Area C, where Palestinian communities live surrounded by illegal Israeli settlements. The settlers enjoy access to all the normal rights and services whilst the Palestinian population is denied access to most basic services and rights. Palestinians are subject to Israeli military law whilst the Israeli settlers are subject to Israeli civil law. So Palestinian civilians have no recourse to justice in the face of continuous Israeli settler and military violence and land theft. All Palestinian construction is prevented, whilst the settlements continuously expand, stealing Palestinian land and livelihoods. Since 1967, tens of thousands of Palestinian properties have been demolished in Area C, including homes, agricultural buildings, water and electricity infrastructure, schools and clinics, including many facilities provided by the EU and other international organisations. In June 2016, I accompanied HIRN staff to the scene below, in Susiya village, in the South Hebron Hills, where the Israeli military had just demolished several buildings leaving seven adults and 12 children homeless and without shelter in the 40 degree heat. And this was done during Ramadan. HIRN provided temporary shelter and other needs.
The remote nature of the area, and denial of planning rights means that the SHH villages often lack schools and children have long and arduous journeys, often harassed by the Israeli military and settlers. Hundreds of Palestinian children are arrested every year.
What can we do to help?
Whilst we are still a long way from realising the promises of Oslo and Palestinian governance over Area C, and the rest of Occupied Palestine, any hope of achieving it relies on sustaining the Palestinian civilian presence in Area C. The Palestinians communities of the South Hebron Hills are on the front line of Palestinian non-violent resistance. Their very existence is resistance, and the hope of freedom and a just peace (as part of a Two State Solution or as equal citizens under a One State Solution) relies on these people remaining steadfastly in the South Hebron Hills.
We can help by supporting the organisations that help to sustain these Palestinian communities. Hebron International Resource Network (HIRN) is a Palestinian-led organisation that supports communities in the South Hebron Hills and other parts of Area C. It is led by local Palestinians who have established excellent relationships with all the South Hebron Hills villages and so HIRN is able to respond to the needs identified by the communities themselves. Aspects of HIRNs work includes supporting dignified livelihoods, access to educational facilities and health care, access to electricity and water, to name a few. HIRN works with the help of networks of supporters and partners in the UK and elsewhere. In Umm al Kheir, for instance, HIRN has provided beekeeping equipment and greenhouses.
With support from Quakers in Britain, HIRN has provided a school bus for the children of Umm al Kheir, helping to ensure their families are not driven away by lack of schooling.
With support from the Nina Franklin Foundation, HIRN has established two new computer labs for schools in Al Fakhiet and Khirbet Al Majaz plus four extra classrooms for Al Fakhiet. In Zweidin HIRN is providing a school science lab and classroom heaters (Palestinian winters are surprisingly cold!). In Saddat Al Tha’ala, HIRN is providing fencing to protect an area of land that suffered settler damage, plus protective window and door grills for houses in Saddat al Tha’ala and Tubas.
HIRN also works closely with UK partners such as Amos Trust and Israeli partners such as The Villages Group, Rabbis for Human Rights and Taayush
With the help of its partners and supporters, HIRN will continue to respond, whatever the need. And the villages will remain steadfast in the South Hebron Hills.
[2] Israeli police shattered this Palestinian elder’s bones — and drove away (972mag.com)
[3] Palestine runs dry: ‘Our water they steal and sell to us’ | Israel-Palestine conflict News | Al Jazeera
GreenNumberplate 
great to read this Ali. Thank you. My small home group support HIRN each year, collecting for them through the year & I keep them updated.
Well written Ali. Hard to understand how Israel gets away with its treatment of the Palestinian people. A very informative read and I will gladly support your appeal.