Beit Furik, Huwwara, Za’tara (Tapuah), Wed 26.11.08, Afternoon
Translation: Ruth F.
14:35- The entrance to Marda was open, and the one leading to Zeita was still blocked.
14:45- Za'tara checkpoint:
When we arrived at the checkpoint we saw a bus that was parked at the side of the road the passengers were standing outside. After about 5 minutes they got their IDs back and the bus headed off.
Eight vehicles were waiting from the southern side.
15:00- Huwwara:
Three posts were active. The shed was completely full. At the entrance to Nablus was a line of six vehicles. One was being detained, and had been waiting four two and half hours. He didn't know why he was being detained, we couldn't find anyone from the DCO and there was no answer at the "Humanitarian Line" phone.
The soldier at the checkpoint said that he is not allowed to reveal before us the reason why they are keeping this man. We called the DCO at Nablus and they said they would "make some inquiries".
A porter that was coming through was inspected by three soldiers.
We meet H. from Burin, he told us that settlers from Bracha ruined his car and broke the window.
15:20- We managed to get hold of someone at the "Humanitarian Line", they said they would try to see what was going on with the detainee.
15:25- A young man that had been detain for half an hour (Bingo), that had probably been taken in while we were noticing, was released. Those coming out of Nablus said they had to wait for an hour in line.
15:40- We called the "Humanitarian Line" again. They said the person was being detained because they were checking up on his plats number. He was supposed to be released in a short while.
A woman was taken to the checkpoint by car and then was place on a stretcher and into an ambulance that arrived from Nablus.
15:55- We headed to Beit Furik.
We called the Humanitarian Line again and they said they would find out why the detainee hadn't yet been released.
16:00-16:15- Beit Furik- We had a word with those coming from Nablus, so the soldier told them off: "get gone! Yalla!!" (waving his arms).
There was only one vehicle post for those coming from both directions.
16:25- Huwwara-
The first detainee was released. The checkpoint was a little less crowded, but the passage was still slow since one post had been shut closed. Those coming out said they had to wait for two hours.
We left at 16:45.
17:00- There were six vehicles in line from the south side at Za'atara.
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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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