Steel Gates and Gridlock in Hebron

Bureaucracy and physical barriers have long been the tools of choice for managing security, but in Hebron’s Old City, administrative management has once again yielded to iron and concrete. The installation of three new iron gates along a 200-metre stretch of road marks the latest tightening of spatial control in the West Bank. Erected across key points such as al-Zahid Road and al-Shalala Street, these structures cut off vital access routes for vehicles and pedestrians trying to reach local commercial hubs.

For the resident population, navigating this maze is less an exception than a permanent condition. According to figures from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the H2 zone of Hebron contains 40 percent of the 89 checkpoints in the West Bank and 11 percent of all 925 movement obstacles across the territory. This intense concentration of control measures directly impacts an estimated 7,000 to 10,000 Palestinian residents living in close proximity to a few hundred Israeli settlers.

The division of the city stems back to the 1997 Hebron Protocol, signed by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization following the 1994 Ibrahimi Mosque massacre. That agreement split the city into H1, under Palestinian authority, and H2, under Israeli military jurisdiction. Over the decades, what was designed as a temporary security arrangement has ossified into a permanent structural barrier. Since October 2023, local conditions have restricted entry to individuals holding specific identification numbers, while operating hours at major entry points are generally limited from 7 am to 8 pm.

Economic vitality in what was once a bustling regional trading hub has suffered under these conditions. On historical thoroughfares like Shuhada Street, over 500 shops have closed their doors over the years. Local merchants like Badr al-Tamimi, who runs a business near the Ibrahimi Mosque, find their operations paralyzed by sudden closures, unpredictable checkpoint delays, and weekend curfews that lock down entire districts for days at a time.

Political dynamics further complicate the picture on the ground. Hebron Mayor Yousef al-Jabari noted that the timing of these new installations coincides with broader political pressures, suggesting that the expansion of physical restrictions serves to reassure settler constituencies. In response, the Hebron municipality has initiated legal proceedings in Israeli courts, though local officials hold little expectation of a favorable judicial outcome. Meanwhile, teachers and students navigating the perimeter routinely face detentions, bag searches, or hour-long detours through nearby cemeteries simply to reach their classrooms.

Written by Thomas Nussbaumer thomas.nussbaumer@alpineweekly.com