During my time in Tel Rumeida, there were many mornings I stood on Shuhada Street as children walked past on their way to the Qurdoba School. If you look at the photo above, the school stands just around the corner of the buiding on the right side of the street. In the center of the photo, and across from the school, is the Beit Hadassa Settlement and just before the settlement is a military outpost. It’s hard to see the outpost in the photo, however it’s the square structure after the row of closed shops on the left. The metal grating on the second floor windows and balconies of the Palestinian homes offer protection from the rocks thrown by settlers. In a picture below, you can see that fabric also used for protection.

Beit Hadassa was set up in 1980 after the Palestinians who had lived in the building were expelled. The neighboring Palestinian stores and buildings were demolished by the Israeli military. In 1999 a new five story building (the whilte building in the picture) was built and several family were brought to live there. I believe there are 21 families living there now.

The Israeli government, the settlers in Hebron and their supporters in Israel are trying to make Hebron’s Arab Old City and adjacent neighborhoods into a Jewish Israeli city. They are doing this by tyring to force Palestinians from their homes by creating horrible living conditions and by expanding the settlements. I often heard stories about how Shuhada Street used to be the social and economic center of Hebron. I had the opportunity to talk with three families who used to have shops there. Now, it feels like a ghost town.

The street is lined with Isreali flags and settler graffiti.

Despite the curfews and setter violence a few Palestinian families continue to live on Shuhada Street. This little girl called to us from her balcony. It took me a moment to see her dangling feet.