Khursa (Arabic: خرسا) is a Palestinian village located seven kilometers south-west of Hebron. The village is in the Hebron Governorate in the Southern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the village had a population of 3,481 in 2017. The primary health care facilities for the village are designated by the Ministry of Health as level 2.West Bank Health care
Etymology According to Palmer, the name Khursa (Khursah) is derived from a personal name.Palmer, 1881, p. 404
History According to an oral tradition from Dura, Khursa was destroyed in an attack by the people of Dura. This event probably happened during the seventeenth century CE. According to this story, those who lived in Khursa then moved to Bayt Jibrin.Grossman, D. "The expansion of the settlement frontier of Hebron's western and southern fringes". Geography Research Forum, 5 (1982), p. 64.
In 1883, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine described the site as having "walls, caves, a well, and a vault, probably a cistern. There were several cisterns and a sacred place to the west. Some of the ruins appear to be modern, some ancient."Conder and Kitchener, 1883, SWP III, p. 359
Modern history
In recent years, Khursa has experienced frequent incursions by Israeli forces. In 2025, troops raided the village and detained several young men, including Diaa Al-Amayreh, Nadim Faqousa, Osama Al-Shahatit, Hassan Al-Suwaiti, and Mohammad Adi Abu Hashem, interrogating them before release.“Army Shoots Four Palestinian Children…” (IMEMC, January 2025) In December 2023, two youths—Osama and Jihad Al-Shahanit—were arrested following raids on their homes.“الاحتلال يعتقل شابين من قرية خرسا…” (AlKofiya, Dec 2023) Local sources also cite the arrest of Kamel Mohammad Aqtayl by Israeli forces after a house search.“الاحتلال يعتقل مواطنا من خرسا…” (WAFA)
Infrastructure and settler / military pressures In 2017, an Israeli guard post (pillbox) was placed within Khursa (Area A), ostensibly to protect illegal settlers driving through roads crossing village territory. NGOs condemned the move as a violation of the Oslo agreements.“IDF Guard Post Placed in Area A…” (Peace Now) Machsom Watch documented that the village lies on a route toward the Negohot settlement, and noted the erection of a watchtower/checkpoint affecting local mobility.“South of Mount Hebron, Khursa, a checkpoint…” (Machsom Watch) Historically, the village has also suffered from severe water shortages. An Al Jazeera report in 2003 described how the water supply was unreliable, infrastructure was dilapidated, and many residents relied on cisterns or buying water at high cost.“Jewish settlers usurp Palestinian water” (Al Jazeera, 2003)
Fatal incidents / casualties In September 2015, the death of a 19-year-old woman shot near Hebron was linked by Palestinian sources to Khursa; other reports connected the incident to a villager named Dia al-Talahmeh (aged 21).“Young Palestinian woman shot by Israeli forces dies” (Al Jazeera, 2015) In 2025, forces were reported to have stormed Khursa to demolish a memorial for Diaa Al-Talahmeh.“Quds News Network tweet” (Quds News Network, April 2025)
Footnotes
Bibliography
External links Survey of Western Palestine, Map 21: IAA, Wikimedia commons Khursa Village (fact sheet), Applied Research Institute–Jerusalem, ARIJ Khursa Village profile, ARIJ Khursa Village aerial photo, ARIJ The priorities and needs for development in Khursa village based on the community and local authorities’ assessment, ARIJ