‘Awarta, Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za’tara (Tapuah), Mon 22.12.08, Afternoon
Natanya translating.
13.45 Samaria crossing there is CP for those going east.
14.03 We pass Za'tara where there were no detainees. At the post over the turning leading to the Jordan valley is a soldier. In the parking lot there is a dog.
14.15 Huwwara.
There is an X_Ray machine which we did not see was being used. In the shed which is now being called the waiting area is a young man who seems to be a minor. Outside the waiting area is a soldier who is either guarding him or guarding the checking booths and maybe watching the line. 3 lines and the humanitarian line. Women, elderly men and sometimes those who looked younger. Women were not checked. Sometimes the men also not. But the conditioning of the people continues. Everyone who approaches the soldier takes out his ID and waits for a sign to go up to the checking booth.
In the usual lines men loosen their belts and the sight of men putting them back on while walking and trying to deal with their other parcels is seen again and again. We went to the posts under the roof next to the humanitarian line. We saw from close up what was happening until there were no more people in the line.
And then the first sergeant, Y. the commander, arrived and asked us to move from the covered area.
We went to stand at the pedestrian area and again he asked us to moves.
A soldier standing at the regular booth shouted out now and again to drivers, " Get the hell backwards" as they stand on the corridor of the entrance to Nablus waiting for passengers.
14.50 About 40 people who take 12 minutes to pass from the time that they arrive.
15.06 We phoned the humanitarian centre about a young man in the waiting area. O. asks for details about him but how can we get them. She says she will see what she can do. In the meantime we went to see what is happening in the car lane. The checkpoint is being taken down but what about the damage which is being done. Cars entering Nablus do so freely, those coming out are checked.
15.27 We again phone the centre and O. says she will check. We decided in the meantime to go to Beit Furik.
One of the taxi drivers calls us and complains that there are no toilets at the checkpoint. Already a year ago we complained.
15.40 Beit Furik. Cars travel freely in both direction and there are soldiers present
15.50 Awarta.
On the booth is written VIP passage in the direction of Nablus. There are 10 cars, private and trucks and we saw cars being returned to Nablus. Every now and again a car arrives in the direction of Nablus which is not checked. A soldier explains that trucks and cars which have permits can pass.
16.03 back in Huwwara.
Hardly any pedestrians leaving. The young man is still there but O. says there is no one there. But we see him. She puts us through to H. from the center who says this is not possible. Immediately after the conversation S.of the DCO arrives and orders the soldier standing next to the shed to take the man to the toilet and adds "and guard him well." S. explains to us that the young man had been looked for the previous day in his home and today his father had brought him in. And about the place where we are standing and from where we can see he can do nothing. It is it the order of the brigade commander and if it rains we should go home. He smiles.
16.24 We left.
17.05 Za'tara. One checking line to the south and about 12 cars.
17.23 Samaria passage. The checkpoint is working to the east.
– מעבר שומרון. מופעל מחסום מזרחה.
14:03 – אנחנו חולפות על פני זעתרה. לא מתעכבות. בעמדה שמעל לפניה לבקעה מוצב חייל. ברחבת החניה נראה כלב.
14:15 – חווארה: יש מכונת בידוק אבל לא ראינו שהיא פועלת.
בסככה ששמה המכובס הוא 'עמדת המתנה' יושב צעיר הנראה קטין. מחוץ ל'עמדת ההמתנה' חייל, ספק שומר עליו ספק מאבטח את עמדות הבדיקה, ספק משגיח על התור.
שלושה תורים. אחד 'הומניטרי'.
ב'הומניטרי' – לנשים, גברים 'מבוגרים' ועברו בו גם גברים שנראו צעירים יותר – לא בדקו את הנשים. לעתים גם גברים לא נבדקים בו. אך ההתניה של האוכלוסיה קיימת. כל מי שמגיע אל החייל המאבטח את העמדה משתהה, שולף ת.ז. ומחכה לסימן להתקרב עמדת הבדיקה.
בתורים ה'רגילים' הגברים נדרשים לשחרר חגורה והמחזה של גברים החוגרים עצמם תוך כדי הליכה ובעודם מתמודדים עם נשיאת חפצים נוספים (מחברות, שקיות, תיקים…) נראה שוב ושוב.
הלכנו לכיוון העמדות, מתחת לגגון, ליד העמדה 'ההומניטרית'. צפינו מקרוב במתרחש בעמדה ה'הומניטרית' ללא הפרעה ועד שיותר לא היו א/נשים בתור. ואז הגיע סמ"ר י., מפקד המחסום, וביקש שנזוז מהמיתחם המקורה. לאחר דין ודברים קצר הוא לא משתכנע. אנחנו עוברות לעמוד ליד העמדות להולכי רגל 'רגילים' וי. מבקש שנלך גם משם.
חייל העומד ליד עמדות הבדיקה ה'רגילות' צועק מדי פעם אל נהגי המוניות "עופו אחורה!", כאשר אלה עומדים על שביל הכניסה לשכם ומזמינים נוסעים לנסוע איתם.
14:50 – במחסום כ-40 אנשים. קצב הבדיקה הוא כ-12 דקות לגבר מרגע שהגיע למחסום.
15:06 – טלפון ל'מוקד ההומניטרי' בענין הצעיר ב'עמדת ההמתנה'. א. צריכה פרטים כדי שתוכל לברר מה קורה איתו. מאיפה יש לנו פרטים?? טוב, בכל זאת היא תנסה לברר.
בינתיים הלכנו לראות מה קורה באזור המכוניות. מפרקים את המחסום, אבל מה עם הרס הקרקע עליו הוא ממוקם? מכוניות נכנסות לשכם באופן חופשי, מכוניות יוצאות נבדקות.
15:27 – טלפון נוסף למוקד בענין המעוכב. א: "שניה, אני אבדוק".
החלטנו לנסוע בינתיים לבית פוריכ. אחד מנהגי המוניות קורא לנו. הוא מתלונן על כך שאין שירותים במחסום. שכבר לפני שנה התלוננו.
15:40 – עזבנו את חווארה לכיוון בית פוריכ.
15:45 – בית פוריכ. מכוניות נוסעות חופשי בשני הכיוונים. יש חיילים במחסום.
15:50 – עוורטא.
על עמדת הבדיקה כתוב V.I.P PASSAGE, לכיוון שכם.
יש תור של כ-10 מכוניות, חלקן רכב פרטי, חלקן משאיות. ראינו שיש מכוניות שמחזירים אותן לכיוון שכם.
מדי פעם מגיעה לשם מכונית לכיוון שכם והיא לא נבדקת. אחד החיילים מסביר שמי שעובר זה משאיות ורכב פרטי שיש לו אישור.
16:03 – חזרה בחווארה.
אין כמעט הולכי רגל יוצאים.
הבחור ב'עמדת ההמתנה' עדיין ממתין, אבל א. מה'מוקד ההומניטרי' אמרה שאין שם אף אחד. היא ביררה. אבל אנחנו רואות אותו. היא מעבירה אלינו את ח. מהמת"ק שאומרת שלא יכול להיות. מיד אחרי השיחה איתה צץ ס. נציג המת"ק ומיד מורה לחייל שעומד ליד הסככה שיקח את ה'מוסגר' לשירותים ועוד מוסיף 'תשמור עליו טוב'. גם ס. מספר לנו שאתמול נערך חיפוש אצל הנער בבית והוא לא נמצא והיום אביו הביא אותו.
ובענין מקום התצפית שלנו הוא לא יכול לעשות דבר. זו הוראת מח"ט ואם יירד גשם שנלך הביתה. הוא מחייך.
16:24 – עזבנו.
17:05 – זעתרה. מופעל מסלול אחד לכיוון דרום וכעת יש בתור כ-12 מכוניות.
17:23 – מעבר שומרון. מחסום מופעל מזרחה.
'Awarta
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Awarta, an internal checkpoint in the heart of the West Bank, is located east of the Hawara checkpoint, at the junction of Roads 555 (which was forbidden for Palestinian traffic in this area) and the entrance road to Nablus. It was one of the four checkpoints that surrounded Nablus until 2009. We used to watch it at Huwwara shifts because it was the only one where goods could be transferred to and from Nablus, using the back-to-back method. It was operated by the army, from 06:00 to 20:00. Until 2009.
Ronit Dahan-RamatiJan-6-2026Awarta: Traffic jam on the way to Nablus
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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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Za'tara (Tapuah)
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Za'tara (Tapuah) Za'tara is an internal checkpoint in the heart of the West Bank, at the intersection of Road 60 and Road 505 (Trans-Samaria), east of the Tapuah settlement. This checkpoint is the "border" marked by the IDF between the north and south of the West Bank, in accordance with the policy of separation between the two parts of the West Bank that has been in place since December 2005. At the Za'tara checkpoint, there are separate routes for Israelis and Palestinians. In the route for Israelis, there are no inspections and the route for Palestinians inspects. The queue lengthens and shortens suits. The checkpoint is open 24 hours a day. The checkpoint is partially staffed and the people who pass through it are checked at random.
Shoshi AnbarSep-27-2023Za'atra (Tapuah Intersection). Signs
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