Beit Furik, Huwwara, Mon 10.11.08, Afternoon
Translator: Charles K.
Huwwara
15:40 We see and hear taxi drivers who are standing on the sidewalk at the exit to the parking area next to the Huwwara checkpoint arguing loudly with the DCO representative, waving their hands.
It turns out, according to the drivers, that they parked their taxis where they weren't allowed to. They claim there's a white line and the soldiers told them they could park there, and now they were told they couldn't, the keys to their taxis were confiscated and they were told they'd be returned at five pm. The drivers are desperate. At five pm it's already dark, and they'll have to sit idly instead of working. The cab was, in fact, blocking the exit from the parking area, and made it difficult for cars to get by. We were surprised that the taxi driver wasn't asked to move the taxi. We spoke to the checkpoint commander and with the DCO representative. The checkpoint commander explained that the taxi drivers asked for permission to park temporarily on the side of the road to pick up passengers and drop them off. Permission was given to five taxis, and ten stopped. The Palestinians themselves were the ones who complained, and that's why the keys were confiscated. The checkpoint commander promised to look into it again and see whether he can release them sooner. And, after 15 minutes, the keys were returned.
On the other side of the automobile checkpoint is the x-ray vehicle where people carrying suitcases and bags have to have their contents inspected. Every few minutes a car is pulled over to the side, its passengers get out and the dog handler goes over with her dog to sniff the trunk and the interior before the driver is allowed to continue.
We talked to the checkpoint commander about the construction of the new checkpoint to the south of the existing one. He explained that it will be larger, with more security, and provide shelter from the rain. Isn't it a waste of money? No, it's not our money, it's American money.
Beit Furik
16:30 Few people going through the checkpoint on foot. We didn't see cars going through the checkpoint. The DCO representative arrives in a jeep and says he was sent here because of a traffic jam. The mystery wasn't solved while we were there. But a soldier ran to the road to stop a speeding truck coming from the west and going east. After a short discussion the truck continues on its way and the soldier returns to his position.
Beit Furik checkpoint
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One of the three internal checkpoints that closed on the city of Nablus - Beit Furik to the east, Hawara to the south, Beit Iba to the west. The checkpoint is located at the junction of Roads 557 (an apartheid road that was forbidden for Palestinians), leading to the Itamar and Alon Morea settlements and Road 5487. The checkpoint was established in 2001 for pedestrians and vehicles; The opening hours were short and the transition was slow and very problematic.Allegedly, the checkpoint is intended to monitor the movement to and from Nablus of the residents of Beit Furik and Beit Dajan, being the only opening outside their villages. Since May 2009 the checkpoint is open 24 hours a day, the military presence is limited, vehicles can pass through it without inspections, except for random inspections. (Updated April 2010)
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Huwwara
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The Huwwara checkpoint is an internal checkpoint south of the city of Nablus, at the intersection of Roads 60 and 5077 (between the settlements of Bracha and Itamar). This checkpoint was one of the four permanent checkpoints that closed on Nablus (Beit Furik and Awarta checkpoints to the east and the Beit Iba checkpoint to the west). It was a pedestrian-only barrier. As MachsomWatch volunteers, we watched therre since 2001 two shifts a day - morning and noon, the thousands of Palestinians leaving Nablus and waiting for hours in queues to reach anywhere else in the West Bank, from the other side of the checkpoint the destination could only be reached by public transport. In early June 2009, as part of the easing of Palestinian traffic in the West Bank, the checkpoint was opened to vehicular traffic. The passage was free, with occasional military presence in the guard tower. Also, there were vehicle inspections from time to time. Since the massacre on 7.10.2023, the checkpoint has been closed to Palestinians.
On February 26, 2023, about 400 settlers attacked the town's residents for 5 hours and set fire to property, such as houses and cars. Disturbances occurred in response to a shooting of two Jewish residents of Har Bracha by a Palestinian Terrorist. The soldiers stationed in the town did not prevent the arson and rescued Palestinian families from their homes only after they were set on fire. No one was punished and Finance Minister Smotrich stated that "the State of Israel should wipe out Hawara." Left and center organizations organized solidarity demonstrations and support actions for the residents of Hawara.Hawara continued to be in the headlines in all the months that followed: more pogroms by the settlers, attacks by Palestinians and a massive presence of the army in the town. It amounted to a de facto curfew of commerce and life in the center of the city. On October 5, 2023, MK Zvi established a Sukkah in the center of Hawara and hundreds of settlers backed the army blocked the main road and held prayers in the heart of the town all night and the next day. On Saturday, October 7, 23 The "Swords of Iron" war began with an attack by Hamas on settlements surrounding Gaza in the face of a poor presence of the IDF. Much criticism has been made of the withdrawal of military forces from the area surrounding Gaza and their placement in the West Bank, and in the Hawara and Samaria region in particular, as a shield for the settlers who were taking over and rioting.
On November 12, 2023, the first section of the Hawara bypass road intended for Israeli traffic only was opened. In this way, the settlers can bypass the road that goes through the center of Hawara, which is the main artery for traffic from the Nablus area to Ramallah and the south of the West Bank. For the construction of the road, the Civil Administration expropriated 406 dunams of private land belonging to Palestinians from the nearby villages. The settlers are not satisfied with this at the moment, and demand to also travel through Hawara itself in order to demonstrate presence and control.(updated November 2023)
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Shoshi AnbarMay-18-2025Huwara: The old houses in Area C
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