RESTRICTION SUMMARY: Bethlehem , 12 October 2021. Israeli settlers participate in a march in the village of Hussan, near Bethlehem, in the West Bank.

STORYLINE:

Hussan is a Palestinian town located nine kilometers west of Bethlehem, in the Bethlehem Governorate

Husan is located in the Seam Zone of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, such that it is separated from the rest of the West Bank by the Israeli West Bank barrier.

In Arabic, husan means "goodness and beauty". The name may also be derived from Hassan monastery, which later became Hussan.

Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Hussan has been under Israeli occupation.

As a result of the restrictions following the occupation, many people in Husan have become unemployed, and the economic situation has severely declined, forcing many to work in the service sector and in agriculture to earn a living.

Since 1996, Husan has been governed by a village council which is currently administrated by ten members appointed by the Palestinian Authority. Under the Oslo Accords, 7.2% of Husan’s land was classified as Area B, the remaining 92.8% as Area C.

The population in the 1967 census conducted by the Israeli authorities was 1,149. In 1978, Husan had a total land area of 7,134 dunams.

Since the establishment of Betar Illit and land expropriations by the Israeli army, the town has been downsized to 1,425 dunams.

Footage by / APAwire