Quwawis (Arabic: ÃÂÃÂçÃÂÃÂõ, also spelled Quwaweis or Qawawis) is a small Palestinian herding hamlet in the South Hebron Hills, within the Masafer Yatta cluster of communities in the Hebron Governorate of the southern West Bank. Like other Masafer Yatta localities, it lies in Area C under Israeli civil and military control. Much of the surrounding area was declared Firing Zone 918 in the 1980s, and residents face demolition orders, restrictions on infrastructure, and recurrent settler-related incidents.
Quwawis lies at about 635 metres above sea level, at approximate coordinates 31.4222ðN, 35.1258ðE (31ð25â²20â³N 35ð07â²33â³E). The hamlet is situated east of Yatta and is part of the chain of small herding communities scattered through the South Hebron Hills.
In the 1870s, the Survey of Western Palestine described Khurbet Kuweiwis as consisting of âÂÂfoundations, cisterns, and caves.âÂÂ
The wider Masafer Yatta landscape (Arabic masÃÂfer, âÂÂtravellingâÂÂ) has long been a zone of semi-nomadic grazing and cave-dwelling habitation. Families in Quwawis, like those in neighbouring hamlets, live in caves and simple structures, supported by cisterns, terraces, and small dryland fields typical of the area.
Following the June 1967 war, Quwawis came under Israeli occupation and was included in Area C. Large parts of Masafer Yatta were later declared Firing Zone 918, preventing formal planning and development. In 2004âÂÂ2007, Israeli authorities carried out demolitions in Quwawis, displacing several families; a Supreme Court injunction later enabled their partial return pending further litigation.
Quwawis is one of the smaller Masafer Yatta hamlets. Families rely on herding goats and sheep, supplemented by small-scale farming of grains and seasonal grazing. International NGOs have provided solar panels and water cisterns, which have at times been targeted for demolition.