Yeshivat Otniel shooting

Yeshivat Otniel is a hesder yeshiva located in Otniel, an Israeli settlement. It is co-headed by the Rabbis Benni Kalmanzon and Re'em Ha'Cohen, who also serves as the settlement's rabbi. It began in 1987 as a kollel run by Rabbis Ami Ulami (killed by terrorists in 1994) and Kalmanzon. Over the next few years, it grew to be a full hesder yeshiva. Rabbi Re'em Ha'Cohen joined the yeshiva in 1993. It adheres to a Religious Zionism ("Dati Leumi") philosophy, with a strong emphasis on Hasidic thought and an encouragement of artistic expression. On December 27, 2002, two Islamic Jihad terrorists infiltrated the yeshiva's dining room and killed four of the yeshiva's students. On January 17, 2016, a Palestinian Terrorist infiltrated the settlement and stabbed Dafne Meir, a woman living in the settlement, to death in her home leaving her six children behind. Today, Yeshivat Otniel is one of the largest hesder yeshivas, with roughly 350 students.

The Har Hevron Regional Council (Hebrew: מועצה אזורית הר חברון, Mo'atza Azorit Har Hevron) is an Israeli regional council in the southern Judean Hills area of Mount Hebron, in the southern West Bank, administering Israeli settlements. The headquarters are located in the Meitarim industrial zone. The council was established in 1983. The chairman of the council sines 2024 is Eliram Azulay. While Kiryat Arba is physically located within the territory of the Har Hevron Regional Council, it is an independent town. The council provides various municipal services to Adora, Avigayil, Beit Hagai, Beit Yatir, Carmel, Eshkolot, Livne, Ma'ale Hever, Ma'on, Mitzpe Asa'el, Negohot, Otniel, Sansana, Shim'a, Susya, Telem and Teneh Omarim. Three of the settlements - Eshkolot, Sansana, and Beit Yatir - are in the so-called Seam Zone, on the Israeli side of the Israeli West Bank barrier, but still inside the West Bank.

Otniel (Hebrew: עָתְנִיאֵל) is an Orthodox Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located in the southern Judaean Mountains, south of Hebron, it falls under the jurisdiction of Har Hevron Regional Council. In 2022, it had a population of 1,041. Otniel is named after the first biblical judge of Israel, Othniel Ben Kenaz; the settlement is located between the Palestinian cities of Yatta and Dahariya, adjacent to Highway 60, which connects Jerusalem and Be'er Sheva. Othniel serves as a regional center in the Hebron Hills and hosts numerous educational institutions: a Hesder Yeshiva, a high school yeshiva, a middle school, and a regional elementary school for the children of the settlement and the surrounding area. The nearby Jewish settlements to Othniel are Beit Hagai to the north and Shim'a and Mitzpe Eshtemoa to the south. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this.

Rabud (Arabic: رابود, also spelled Khirbet Rabud) is a Palestinian village in the southern West Bank, in the Hebron Governorate of the State of Palestine. The village was the site of an ancient Canaanite city. The village had a population of 2,816 in 2017.

Karma (Arabic: كرمة) is a Palestinian village located nineteen kilometers south-west of Hebron. The village is in the Hebron Governorate Southern West Bank. The village had a population of 1,781 in 2017.

Khirbat al-Simia (Arabic: خربة السيميا) is a Palestinian village located four kilometers north-west of As-Samu .The village is in the Hebron Governorate Southern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the village had a population of 1,705 in mid-year 2006.

The Hebron Hills, also known as Mount Hebron (Arabic: جبل الخليل, romanized: Jabal al-Khalīl, Hebrew: הר חברון, romanized: Har Hevron), are a mountain ridge, geographic region, and geologic formation, constituting the southern part of the Judean Mountains. The Hebron Hills are located in the southern West Bank.During the Ottoman period, Mount Hebron served as a stop for farmers and herders, primarily from the deserts of Arabia and Transjordan, who migrated due to factors like severe drought. Between the 17th and 19th centuries, Mount Hebron experienced extensive violence involving rival families and Bedouins, leading to migrations and the destruction of many villages.

Beit 'Amra (Arabic: خربة بيت عمرة) is a Palestinian village located twelve kilometers southwest of Hebron. The village is in the Hebron Governorate Southern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the village had a population of 3,607 in 2017.

Wadi ash-Shajina (English: Shagna Valley) is a Palestinian village in the Hebron Governorate, in the south of the West Bank. The village had a population of 762 in 2017.

Deir Razih (Arabic: دير رازح) is a Palestinian village in the southern West Bank located 11 kilometers (6.8 mi) southwest of Hebron, in the Hebron Governorate. It relies mainly on nearby Dura for basic services. Its total land area is made of 540 dunams, including its built-up area. The village had a population of 294 residents in 2017.

as-Sura is a Palestinian village located fifteen kilometers south-west of Hebron. The village is in the Hebron Governorate Southern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the village had a population of 3,941 in 2017. The primary health care facilities for the village are obtained at Imreish where they are designated by the Ministry of Health as level 1.

Tarrama (Arabic: طرّامة, also known as Khirbet al-Tarramah) is a Palestinian village situated on a hilltop with an elevation of 879 meters (2,884 ft) in the southern West Bank, part of the Hebron Governorate. Located just south of Dura, nearby localities include at-Tabaqa to the north, Fawwar to the east, Khursa to the west, and Deir Razih to the south. The village had a population of 642 in 2017. Its total land area is 210 dunams and the village is provided with electricity and telephone lines.