Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za’tara (Tapuah), Fri 7.3.08, Morning
Translation: Suzanne O.
Tapuach Junction
9:50 a.m.
There were 7 cars at the junction.
Beit Furiq Junction
10:00 a.m.
There were 9 cars at the junction. The driver of the first car told us that he had been waiting for two hours.
A Palestinian, in his seventies, riding on a small donkey, approached the roadblock. A military policewoman told him haughtily that the next time he should wait at a distance from the roadblock until he is told to approach.
When the soldiers noticed us one of them said to his colleagues: "I will deal with them", he came over to us and asked us to stand on the other side of the white line. He added that if we don't move away the soldiers would close the roadblock. We said that is illegal. The soldier asserted that it is legal and instructed the soldiers not to let any Palestinian cross until we move.
We contacted Naomi Lalo and asked her to get in touch with a legal advisor, Naomi Lalo asked us to stay where we were until she got hold of legal advice.
Meanwhile a soldier of Russian origin called Dima told us that, since we do not have Palestinian identity cards, we should move behind the concrete blocks which would shield us in case of gun fire. We asked who the roadblock commander is and the soldiers told us that there is no commander there, but they will not let any cars through until we move. Dima said that ‘to all intents and purposes' he is the roadblock commander.
10:20 a.m.
The roadblock opened. The driver who had been waiting for two hours was permitted to cross.
Naomi Lalo told us that she spoke to the Brigade C.O. who promised to deal with the matter and instructed us to stand by the white line behind the concrete blocks.
After a few minutes the soldiers closed the roadblock again claiming that the Division C.O.had order the closure of the roadblock.
One of the Palestinians came over to us and requested that we leave because the roadblock was closed because of us. The Palestinian who waited for two hours and who was arrested a few minutes after he had been given permission to cross also came back and asked us to move. He told us that his children are waiting for him. Another Palestinian came over and told us angrily, "get away from here".
We contacted Naomi Lalo again and she asked us to wait.
10:30 a.m.
We moved away and stood by the concrete blocks and the soldiers started to allow cars to cross. Although there were six soldiers at the roadblock they worked very slowly, chatted between themselves, laughed, opened only one crossing lane and spoke haughtily and arrogantly to the Palestinians. Dima was particularly unpleasant.
We reported to the Brigade operation room and spoke to a soldier by the name of Einat who promised to check out the issue.
10:45 a.m.
The soldiers let pedestrians through but stopped the cars. We contacted the DCO and spoke to Shadi, the officer of the day. Shadi claimed that the soldiers are not allowed to stop inspections even if we are around, but said that he does not have anyone to send there. The soldier in the watchtower suddenly shouted out: "Let me out of here, I am boiling".
10:50 a.m.
The rate speeded up.
11:00 a.m.
Two soldiers, one of them a major, arrived in a Hammer jeep. The officer spoke to the soldiers and inspected their uniforms. We approached and I told him about the soldiers' behaviour. When we moved away I saw the major talking to the soldiers.
11:05 a.m.
Another three soldiers arrived.
Huwwara roadblock
11:20 a.m.
There were no detainees. There was no queue. Those crossing were asked to take of their belts.
The officer who had responsibility for the roadblock, with the rank of captain, told us that there is no separation or any particular limitations.
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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