OVERVIEW

Hebron today

Hebron is one of the oldest cities in the world and a holy city for the three monotheistic religions. It is also the only Palestinian city with Israeli settlements inside it, making it a visible and concentrated example of occupation.

The Old City is fragmented through barriers, closures, military zones and settlements, restricting movement and suffocating social and economic life. Hebron is the only Palestinian city that has internal Jewish settlements. It is therefore a sobering symbol of how Palestinians are affected by the policies of the occupation.

The Old City of Hebron is completely fragmented through the presence of barriers, closures, military zones and settlements. As a result, it is difficult to develop a clear understanding of how the structure of the Old City is disintegrating and part of it is altering into a Judaized quarter. These creeping policies of occupation prohibit freedom of movement and suffocate the social and economic life for Palestinians.

Israel uses this fragmentation in the Old City to produce urbicide, resulting in the displacement of the urban population. This political and military strategy is used to protect, maintain, connect, and expand the Jewish settlements.

THE DIVISION OF THE CITY

H1 and H2

H1 — Palestinian Authority control

  • Approximately 80% of Hebron

  • Administered by the Palestinian Authority

  • Home to the majority of Hebron’s Palestinian population

  • Subject to Palestinian civil law

H2 — Israeli military control

  • Approximately 20% of Hebron

  • Contains the historic Old City and key landmarks

  • Home to fewer than 1% of Hebron’s population — Israeli settlers

  • Palestinians subject to military law and severe movement restrictions

Although H2 is a relatively small portion of the city, it is Hebron’s true city center, where the industrial and commercial zones, as well as the most important landmarks, are located. H2 is also an important passageway between the northern and southern parts of the city. Therefore, restricting movement in H2 significantly affects the freedom of movement of all residents of Hebron.