Huwwara, Za’atara, Beit Furik
Huwwara, Za’atra, Beit Furik, Monday 27.3.06 AMObservers: Annelien K., Ada H. (reporting)Guests: Shifra (journalist), Inbar (photographer) (MAARIV)07.40 Za’atra Junction – 2 cars from western direction.From the direction of Hawwara an enormous line of cars. difficult to count.In line about 17 pedestrians prevented from crossing unless they go by car. Young people aged 16-30 from Jenin are not allowed through to cross in the direction of Ramalla. On the side a private car stopped by the police. It had 6 passengers instead of 5. The police checked after the army checks, the validity of permits and car registration, condition of the vehicles etc.08.25 Izhar Jn. – 10 cars in line at the cp.08.35 – The “market” were Hawwara south used to be, seems busy. Open stands with lots of merchandise and people are walking around and buying.08.50 Beit Furik – The drivers say the cp was opened on time, crossing was very slow until the DCO arrived. Than traffic start moving. They say there is new unit there who started the day before. 4 young men were sent to the shed not knowing why they were sent there. The cp commander told us “ This is what I was ordered”.09.04 – The 4 young people were released.09.25 Awarta – The place seems empty and almost no work at all. According to A., this is because of the election of the Israelis.09.40 Hawwara – 2 handcuffed man in the shed. Each one in another corner. Explanation : “ Tried to smuggle a large amount of firearms!!!!!”10 cars waiting to cross from Hawwara to Nablus. Many people are under strain waiting in the shed to cross from Nablus to Hawwara. Only one crosses in 10 minutes because of more than thorough checks. People complaining they are waiting more than 2 hours. Dagash us there and other people from the DCO huddling with the soldiers and not moving the line. “ Because of the transfer of war materials one need to check very well”. Phone calls are not return.10.17 – With the help of Hanna B. in the end a humanitarian line is opened near the shed to let through the elderly, women and the sick.10.07 – A bus arrived. The passengers are taken of it. Soldiers are climbing in, the luggage is passed through the x-ray car. The passengers stand in line and the soldiers walk along it checking every one – raise the shirt, lift the pants, empty pockets…… ID cards are taking to be examined by the computer.10.22 – Bus and passengers released on their way.10.25 – Police bomb squad car arrives maneuvering to reach the field where the “sabotage materials” were thrown blocking the cross road of the cars from Nablus. Even an ambulance with his siren on already previously checked is waiting. After about 10 minutes the road is clear and the ambulance crosses. 10.32 – Another bus arrived for checking. From time to time another vehicle is let through in the additional line.10.47 – The humanitarian line is closed. A quarter of the people waiting remaining. The robot is brought into the field lifting a sky blue nylon bag strongly shaking it. Out of it fall used cloths, a sweatshirt, pants, socks and alike. Than a black bag is raised and shaken out of it falling pages, notebooks and books. One of the detainees is sent into the field, his right hand behind his back, and on the soldiers orders lifts the items one by one. He is returned to the shed and the robot is returned. An army sapper is going into the field checking it again. From the distance where we stood we could not discern whether he really found something but an explosive was detonated blowing up a rock towards which it was aimed.12.00 – Because of all the people, the soldiers the army cars we did not see what happened with the detainees. 12.25 Izhar Jn. – Only 2 soldiers standing there. No army car next to them. Neither any Palestinian waiting.12.35 Za’atra Jn. – Empty and deserted from all directions.
Huwwara
See all reports for this place-
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)
.
Shoshi AnbarMay-18-2025Huwara: The old houses in Area C
-