‘Awarta, ‘Azzun ‘Atma, Beit Furik, Huwwara, Shomron Crossing, Za’tara (Tapuah), Thu 13.1.11, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
Peace will finally come – there weren’t any soldiers this morning at the Nablus checkpoints!
06:20 Azzun Atma: Still dark outside. An easterly wind freezes the laborers waiting for transportation, who try to warm up around bonfires of twigs and branches.
A line of military vehicles parked alongside the checkpoint – the senior officers of the new unit (combat engineers) have come to familiarize themselves with the area of the checkpoint.
Innovations at the checkpoint, not necessarily for the better. Laborers leaving the village again no stand in the fenced corridor but at the gate where cars go through, or for those entering the village. Each one, in turn, is called to approach the soldiers, place the bag with his food/tools on the improvised counter and is checked with the hand wand. Only then does he go over to the MP booth and present his ID. The cumbersome procedure complicates the crossing and makes the line longer than usual – even though everyone works quickly. And, of course, when Palestinians arrive from the other side, traffic stops completely and the laborers wait until their neighbors have entered. All this, as we said, on a bone-chilling cold morning. At least it wasn’t raining.
Shomron crossing– No police at the entrance and not much of a line at the exit.
The entrances to Marda and Zeita are open.
07:00 Za’tara/Tapuach: Heavy traffic up the hill. Border Police soldiers stop very few cars for inspection, but even so a long line forms, and more cars keep joining it. The humanitarian lane is also bustling.
07:05 Yitzhar/Burin checkpoints: No military activity.
07:30 Beit Furiq: We saw a soldier peeking from the high tower but he made no sign to us, not even when we appeared to enter the forbidden city.
07:40 Awarta: The yellow beam still blocks the entrance/exit from Nablus. But we saw an innovation: A sign posted at the junction explaining to those coming from Huwwara that they can turn only toward the village. A similar sign is posted next to the entrance to the Madison route next to the plaza. (We photographed the sign and will post it online soon). This is the first time we’ve seen in writing that Palestinians are prohibited from driving on the Madison route.
Despite the sign, there was a Palestinian car coming from Awarta on its way to Nablus that saw the beam blocking the way, and stopped. We tried to explain to the driver that he’s allowed to continue to the Huwwara checkpoint, but either he didn’t understand our Hebrew or we didn’t look reliable. He remained at the junction and tried to get answers by phone in order to avoid getting into trouble with the authorities by driving on a forbidden road.
07:45 Huwwara: The messiah has arrived! No soldiers in the inspection booths. Neither for those entering or for those leaving. We approached the tower and asked the Border Police soldier what happened, and he replied: “There were never inspections at this checkpoint.” He said everyone can go to Nablus, and as far as he’s concerned we can do so as well.
A few minutes later an infantry soldier joined him, who quickly warned us we were forbidden even to stand at the checkpoint, and we had to leave. We didn’t get into an argument with him about how dangerous it was for us to stand there because we were glad to see there were no inspections and wanted to let the guys know.
A Border Police vehicle is parked at the exit from Huwwara, opposite the entrance to Beita. We stopped and asked one of the soldiers when inspections stopped at Huwwara. He didn’t even know where that checkpoint was.
Za’tara/Tapuach: A few vehicles going through, without interference. A taxi detained for inspection of IDs was released just when we arrived.
Since our route this time went faster than usual, we drove to see Ariel, the capitol of Samaria, and were surprised at the size of the city spread along the ridge. We drove as far as the college and saw that the momentum of construction hasn’t slackened.
No police at the Shomron crossing leaving Israel, and the inspection on the way in was very superficial.
עזון עתמה, חווארה, עוורטא ובית פורי
ובסוף גם יבוא השלום – הבוקר לא עמדו חיילים במחסומי שכם !
06:20 עזון עתמה: בחוץ עדיין חושך. רוח מזרחית מקפיאה את הפועלים הממתינים להסעות והם מנסים להתחמם סביב מדורות זרדים.
טור של מכוניות צבאיות חונה לאורך המחסום – סגל הפיקוד הבכיר של היחידה החדשה (הנדסה קרבית) בא לסיור הכרות עם אזור המחסום.
במחסום חידושים ולאו דווקא לטובה. הפועלים המבקשים לצאת מהכפר שוב אינם עומדים בשרוול המרושת אלא מול השער המשמש למעבר מכוניות או לאלו הרוצים להיכנס לכפר. כל פועל בתורו נקרא להתקרב אל החיילים, להציב את שקית האוכל/כלי עבודתו על השולחן המאולתר והחיילים בודקים אותו עם סורק נייד. רק לאחר מכן הוא הולך לקובת המ"צ להעביר את תעודת הזהות שלו. התהליך מסרבל את המעבר וגורם ליצירת תור ארוך מהרגיל. זאת למרות שכולם עובדים בזריזות. וכמובן, כאשר מגיעים פלסטינים מהצד השני, נעצרת התנועה לגמרי והפועלים מחכים עד ששכניהם יעברו פנימה. והכל כאמור בבוקר מקפיא עצמות. לפחות לא ירד עליהם גשם.
במעבר שומרוןאין משטרה בכניסה ויש מעט תור ביציאה.
הכניסות למרדא ולזיתא פתוחות.
07:00 זעתרה/תפוח: תנועה ערה במעלה הגבעה. שוטרי משמר הגבול כמעט ואינם עוצרים מכוניות לבדיקה ואף על פי כן נוצר תור ארוך אליו מתווספות על העת עוד ועוד מכוניות. גם הנתיב ההומניטארי הומה.
07:05 מחסומי יצהר/בורין: אין פעילות צבאית.
07:30 בית פוריכ:ראינו חייל מציץ ממרומי המגדל אך הוא לא עשה כל סימן לעברינו, גם לא כשכאילו נכנסנו לעיר האסורה.
07:40 עוורטא: הזרוע הצהובה עדיין חוסמת את הכניסה/היציאה לשכם. לעומת זאת ראינו חידוש: בצומת נתלה שלט המסביר לאלה הבאים מכיוון חווארה כי עליהם לפנות רק לכיוון הכפר. שלט דומה נתלה גם סמוך לכניסה לציר מדיסון ליד הכיכר. (צילמנו את השלט ונעבירו לרשת בהקדם). זו הפעם הראשונה שראינו התייחסות כתובה לאיסור הנסיעה לפלסטינים על ציר מדיסון.
למרות השילוט ראינו מכונית פלסטינית שהגיעה מכיוון עוורטא כדי לנסוע לשכם, ראתה את הזרוע החוסמת את המעבר ונעצרה. ניסינו להסביר לנהג שמותר לו לנסוע את הקטע המוביל למחסום חווארה, אבל או שלא הבין את העברית שבפינו או שנראינו לו לא אמינות. הוא נשאר לעמוד בצומת וניסה למצוא תשובות בטלפון כדי לא להסתבך עם השלטונות בנסיעה על קטע אסור.
07:45 חווארה:ימות המשיח. אין חיילים בעמדות הבדיקה. לא לנכנסים ולא ליוצאים. התקרבנו עד למגדל ושאלנו את המג"בניק מה יום מיומיים ותשובתו: "אף פעם לא היו בדיקות במחסום הזה". לדבריו כל אחד יכול להכנס לשכם ומבחינתו אין בעייה שנעשה זאת גם אנו.
לאחר מספר דקות הצטרף אליו חייל חי"ר אשר מהר להזהיר אותנו שאסור לנו בכלל לעמוד בשטח המחסום ושעלינו לפנות את השטח. לא נכנסנו אתו לויכוח על מידת המסוכנות בעמידתנו במקום כי שמחנו לראות שאין בדיקה ורצנו לספר לחבר'ה.
ביציאה מחווארה מול הכניסה לביתא חונה לו רכב של משמר הגבול. עצרנו לצידו ושאלנו את אחד החיילים ממתי אין בדיקה במחסום חווארה. הוא אפילו לא ידע איפה המחסום הזה עומד.
זעתרה/תפוח: מעט כלי רכב חולפים ללא הפרעה. מונית אחת עוכבה לבדיקת תעודות ושוחררה בדיוק כשהגענו.
היות שהמסלול הפעם היה מהיר מהרגיל עלינו לראות את אריאל בירת השומרון והופתענו מגודלה של העיר המשתרעת לאורכו של הרכס. הגענו עד למכללה וראינו כי נמשכת שם תנופת הבנייה.
במעבר שומרוןאין משטרה ביציאה מישראל והבדיקה בכניסה אליה היתה ממש שיטחית.
'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-RamatiMay-12-2025Awarta: Waiting to move towards Nablus
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'Azzun 'Atma
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'Azzun 'Atma
A Palestinian village of about 1,800 residents. The settlement of Sha'arei Tikva was established on its land adjacent to it, and the settlement of Oranit was established on its agricultural lands. By 2013, the separation fence had passed through the village and a checkpoint staffed by the army allowed the residents to cross from side to side. After building a massive wall surrounding the village and some of its agricultural lands, the residents went daily for five years to their lands that remained in the Seam Zone through the Oranit agricultural checkpoint (4). Since 2018 it has only opened during the olive harvest and the farmers have to pass daily at the Beit Amin / Abu Salman checkpoint (1447), about 3 kilometers north.From a report from March 24, 2021: "The farmers from Beit Amin and Azon Atma are happy that since February 21 the Oranit checkpoint .is going to be open 3 times a day, The farmers are really developing the place."
Report from July 14, 2024: "Ornit checkpoint is closed . The Beit Amin/Abu Salman agricultural checkpoint is closed (there is no contact with the military to check if it opens rarely), the Ezbat Jaloud checkpoint was opened once a day before the war.
Updated for July 2024
Apr-11-2019Azoun: The main entrance to village blocked now for several weeks
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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)
.Shoshi AnbarMay-18-2025Huwara: The old houses in Area C
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Shomron Crossing
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Shomron Crossing The Shomron checkpoint for vehicles. is located east of Rosh HaAyin and Kafr Qassem, on Road 5 (Trans-Samaria) leading to Ariel and the Za'atara junction. It is intended for blue ID cardholders, foreign guests or diplomats, and international organizations only. In 2009 the management was entrusted to a civil security company.Nava EisenNov-9-2008Shomron crossing checkpoint 23.10.08
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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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