South Hebron Hills

The region of the South Hebron Hills is in Area C, under full Israeli control. Israel’s policy there threatens the continued existence of some thirty Palestinian villages, home to approximately 4,000 residents, most of whom earn their living by farming and herding. The policy features a near-total ban on construction, repeated demolitions of homes and cisterns, and a lack of law enforcement in the case of violent settlers.

Background on the South Hebron Hills

Featured update

14 Jan 2016

Civil Administration demolishes family’s tent home and livestock pen in Khirbet a-Rahwa, south Hebron hills

The demolished tent. Photo: Nasser Nawaj'ah, B'Tselem, 13 Jan. 2016

In the early hours of 13 January 2016, representatives of the Civil Administration and the military came to the Palestinian community of Khirbet a-Rahwa, which lies south of the town of a-Dahariya and close to the settlement Tene. The force demolished a tent that was home to a family of nine, including seven minors, and a livestock pen that belongs to the family. The force also confiscated a solar panel donated to the family by humanitarian aid organizations. The family’s tent had already been demolished a year ago and re-erected since.

Featured video

Forced to weather the storm without a proper home, 2015

Day in and day out, the Palestinians of Khirbet Susiya see the permanent housing of the settlement of Susiya. Although there has been a Palestinian village in the area since the 19th century, the Israeli military displaced the residents from the original site of the village, declaring it an archeological site, and does not allow any construction in the present location. In the face of the raging winter storm, this injustice is more blatant than ever. Nasser Nawaj'ah, B'Tselem field researcher in the Southern Hebron Hills and a resident of Susiya filmed scenes from the storm.