Awarta, Huwwara, Za’tara (Tapuah), Sun 27.7.08, Morning
Translation: Ruth F.
7:40 On our way to Huwwara Zacaria called us and said we should come to Awarta. There were 22 trucks standing in line to enter the village, it was a long line and we couldn't see the end of it.
The gate of the checkpoint was closed and there were no soldiers (the checkpoint was supposed to open at 6:00). We called A' from the Humanitarian Center: They knew there was a problem and said they were taking care of it. We called the DCO, the person who answered wouldn't give us his name, but told us that they had a shortage in manpower.
7:45- Two soldiers arrived. One of them had a small flag in his hand and the writing on it said: "Kol Ha'KAvod IDF" and the "Women in Blue and White" were the ones to give it to them. The soldiers told us that back up from the base was supposed to come and then they could open the checkpoint. They were supposed to come by foot.
On top of the observers post was an Israeli flag that looked like a rag which was appropriate considering what was going on over there.
A driver got out of his car and yelled to the soldier (after all they weren't allowed to come close): I have been waiting here since 5:00! The soldier mumbled back: you have been waiting here since 12:00.
8:00- With Hana's help made contact with Z' an officer from the DCO that told us that the problem was a result of the exchange of soldiers at the checkpoint. He promised to take care of it.
8:10- Two more soldier arrived, they probably got a briefing.
8:15- The checkpoint was opened. The vehicle inspection was quick. They checked the drivers' documents and not his luggage.
8:25- We left.
8:30- Huwwara:
There were new soldiers from Golani. We approached a soldier that had no idea who we were, but the ones next to the turnstile knew very well that we weren't allowed to cross the white line (that in the mean while had turned into red or blue).
The checkpoint was relatively quiet. There were no dogs. About 20-30 people were at the turnstiles. There were many people heading into Nablus, from time to time people crowded up by the turnstile waited for a couple of minutes, and then passed.
The international volunteers told us that someone was in the cell. T, from the DCO said he was being interrogated. He had already been detained for half an hour. His brother was waiting for him and asked for our help. B' the checkpoint commander said he had just called the base and that the interrogation hadn't been finished yet.
9:00- Car heading to Nablus arrived from time to time, the inspection was quick. Only one cab coming from Nablus was inspected.
9:15- The detainee hadn't been released yet, we took his brother's phone number. He later on told us that he had been released (at 10:00- a two hour interrogation).
9:20- Awarta:
We returned. The line into the village had disappeared, but there was a long line of truck heading out.
A Palestinian told us that the soldiers closed the checkpoint for 5 minutes because they thought that some drivers from Awarta tried to bypass the line.
We asked the soldiers to switch an entry lane to the village to an exit lane. That was of course impossible.
The IDF has rules and regulations, why should they disrupt that order of things? We called the humanitarian center, A' said he would look into that possibility.
10:00- On our way back- the soldiers at Za'tara checked all the vehicles heading north. A few were in line from the north and from the west.
7.40.בדרכנו לחווארה אנו מוזעקות ע"י זכריה לעוורטא.
22 משאיות בתור לעיירה ותור ארוך מאוד של רכבים ביציאה מעוורטא, שאיננו רואות את סופו.
שער המחסום סגור ואין בו חיילים!(המחסום אמור להפתח בשעה 6.00). אנו מתקשרות לא. מהמוקד ההומניטרי: יש בעייה, מודעים לה, מטפלים. אנו מתקשרות למת"ק, העונה לנו אינו מוכן להזדהות בשמו, אך מוסר שיש בעייה של כוח אדם
.7.45 מגיעים 2 חיילים. אחד מהם נושא בידו דגלון שמתנוסס עליו המשפט: "כל הכבוד לצה"ל" ומובן שזה מנשים בכחול לבן. החיילים מדווחים לנו שאמורה להגיע תגבורת מהבסיס שתאפשר להם לפתוח את המחסום. המתגברים אמורים להגיע ברגל.
מעל סוכת התצפית מתנופף דגל ישראל מסמורטט שבהחלט הולם את הקורה כאן.נהג יוצא מרכבו וצועק מרחוק לעבר החייל (להתקרב הרי לא ניתן לנהגים): אני מחכה כאן מ-5.00! החייל מפטיר: אתה מחכה כאן מ-12.00.
8.00 בתיווכה של חנה הגענו לז. קצין המת"ק, שמדווח לנו שהבעייה נעוצה בחילופי החיילים במחסום ומבטיח לטפל בעניין.
8.10 חיילים נוספים מגיעים, עוברים כנראה תידרוך.
8.15 המחסום נפתח. בידוק הרכבים מהיר. נבדקים המסמכים של הנהג, לא המטען.
8.25 עוזבות.
8.30 חווארה
חיילים חדשים, גולני. לחייל שאנו פונות אליו אין מושג מה ומי אנחנו, אך החיילים שליד הקרוסלות מודעים היטב לאיסור שחל עלינו לעבור את הקו הלבן (שהפך בינתיים לאדום או כחול).שקט במחסום. מכונית שיקוף חונה, אך לא פעילה. אין כלב וכלבנית. 20 – 30 איש בקרוסלות. תנועה ערה למדי לשכם, מידי פעם מתגודדת קבוצה של אנשים ליד הקרוסלה, מחכים מספר דקות ועוברים.
בינלאומים שכאן מדווחים לנו שאדם נמצא בתא המעצר. ת. מהמת"ק מסביר שהוא בבדיקה. עוכב לפני חצי שעה. אחיו מחכה לו ומבקש את עזרתנו. ב. המפקד מוסר לנו שהוא התקשר זה עתה לבסיס ונמסר לו שהבדיקה עדיין לא הסתיימה.
9.00 מידי פעם מגיעה מכונית שפניה לשכם, בדיקה מהירה. מונית אחת בלבד בתור משכם – נבדקת.
9.15 המעוכב לא שוחרר עדיין, אנו רושמות את מס. הטלפון של אחיו. בהמשך היום הוא מדווח לנו ששוחרר ב-10.00 (בדיקה של שעתיים).
9.20 עוורטא
חזרנו למקום. התור לעיירה התרוקן. אך תור ארוך ביותר של משאיות ביציאה. פלשתינאי שבמקום מדווח שהחיילים סגרו את המחסום ל-5 ד' משום שרכבים מעוורטא ניסו לעקוף את התור.אנו פונות לחיילים בקשר לאפשרות שיסבו את מסלול הכניסה לעיירה ליציאה (כאמור, אין רכבים בכניסה). מובן שאין זה אפשרי. בצה"ל יש פקודות ונהלים, ולמה להפר את הסדר הטוב? פנינו למוקד ההומניטרי. א. הבטיח לבדוק אפשרות זו.
10.00 בדרכנו חזרה – בזעתרה חיילים בודקים את המכוניות שנוסעות צפונה. מספר קטן של רכבים בתור מהצפון ומהמערב.
'Awarta
See all reports for this place-
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-RamatiApr-23-2026Awarta Checkpoint is empty
-
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
-
Za'tara (Tapuah)
See all reports for this place-
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
-