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Hebron’s Israeli rooftop settlers threaten the city’s Palestinian identity
Israeli settlers have placed prefabricated structures on rooftops above Palestinian shops in Hebron’s Old City, raising fears among shopkeepers that they could lose access to their businesses and be pushed out. The expansion has heightened concerns about the Palestinian identity of the area, where restrictions and closures have already reshaped daily life.
About 500 settlers live in Hebron’s Old City, where a settler presence dates to 1978. Structures installed on 29 October are expected to accommodate 20 new settler units, including housing above Yusef al-Khatib’s tailoring shop, a family business dating back around 80 years. Shopkeepers say they are determined to keep working and preserve their families’ connection to the neighbourhood despite uncertainty and threats.
In short
- New rooftop structures could house 20 settler units in Hebron’s Old City.
- Palestinian shopkeepers fear losing access to businesses and livelihoods.
- They say keeping their shops open helps preserve the area’s Palestinian identity.
Explained simply
Hebron is a Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank, and its Old City has long been home to Palestinian families, shops and religious sites. Israeli settlers began establishing a presence there in 1978; about 500 now live in the Old City.
The area is divided into zones with different Israeli and Palestinian authority, and movement restrictions and closures affect daily life. Palestinian shopkeepers say their businesses and family ties to the neighbourhood are central to its character, so changes to who can live and work there have wider significance for the city’s identity.