Settlers Assault Palestinians: Shortly before sundown on September 23, ten Israeli settlers entered the village of Tuba, population 75, in the South Hebron Hills and threw stones hitting a woman and her adult son. Settlers remained in the village for about an hour. Police did not arrive until an hour after the settlers had left. Tuba residents, including children walking to school in nearby at-Tuwani, have experienced ongoing harassment from settlers living in the Israeli settlement of Ma’on, and the illegal (under Israeli law) outpost of Havat Ma’on.
Settlers Attack CPTers: On September 28, settlers attacked CPTers accompanying shepherds on a hill near the village of at-Tuwani. Shortly after 7:00am, fifteen settlers emerged from the trees of Havot Ma’on outpost, most of them clad in white robes and shawls. They shouted and cursed as they chased the CPTers, shepherds and sheep down into Khoruba valley. They began throwing stones at the CPTers and one of them seized a CPT video camera. When CPTers demanded the return of the camera, settlers threatened them saying, “You go now and you go with your life,” and “You come back here and we kill you.”
Successful Olive Harvest: In late October, Palestinians from Yatta, Susiya and at-Tuwani, joined by over 100 Israeli and international volunteers, successfully harvested olives in the South Hebron Hills. The olive harvest, a pillar of both the local and national economies, went on without interference from Israelis in the nearby settlements and outposts of Susya and Ma’on, known for their violent attacks on farmers and shepherds.
Soldiers Attempt to Search CPT: On Sunday, November 11 at around 4:30pm, six Israeli soldiers tried to enter the CPT apartment in Hebron. The soldiers ordered the family and guests in the neighboring apartment to leave so they could search for weapons. CPTers challenged the soldiers, saying that CPT had no weapons, and demanded to see a search warrant. While the leader of the patrol communicated with an officer on the radio, CPTers repeated that the soldiers were not invited to enter their home. The soldiers departed around 5:00pm without searching the premises.
Obstacles to School, Obstacles to Peace: Seven-year-old Hani (not his real name) is confined to a wheel chair. He lives in Hebron less than 100 meters from Shuhada St. where his school is located. But Hani cannot cross Shuhada St. to get to school because Israeli authorities erected a barricade and closed the street to Palestinian traffic. That means that Hani must rely on friends to navigate his wheel chair up and down hilly side streets, which include stairs and treacherously steep inclines, an extra 500 meters to get to and from school.
Soldiers Search School Bags: Israeli soldiers have continued to search the book bags of Palestinian school children despite a legal position issued by The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) prohibiting such searches. CPTers regularly challenge soldiers checking bags at checkpoints, presenting the ACRI document in Hebrew and English. However, many soldiers ignore the letter, saying the children could be hiding bombs in their backpacks.