Eliyahu Crossing, Huwwara, Ma’ale Efrayim, Za’tara (Tapuah), Sat 22.10.11, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
9:45 Za’tara (Tapuach junction)
Empty. No soldiers, no police officers. Heavy traffic in both directions.
10:10 Ma’aleh Efrayim
Also empty. No traffic here at all.
10:30 Hamra checkpoint
From the west: A tractor pulling a water wagon, two women holding babies and two children seated on its fenders, is just leaving the checkpoint.
Also a taxi with two passengers.
A car is being inspected, its three passengers have already crossed on foot and are waiting for it. A minute later they’re on their way.
Many soldiers present (we counted 7), two in the two booths on the road and the rest inspecting, going over to the pedestrian area, etc. Two (a male and a female) look like military police investigators – their bullet-proof vests are different.
10:33 A car with four riders arrives. The passengers (two men and two women) go through at 10:35; the car was inspected before them and is already waiting.
Cars arrive to be inspected one by one, but there’s not much traffic while we’re there so they don’t have to wait.
The next car took five minutes to go through – the soldier gave the driver’s papers to the soldier in the guard booth (there’s a computer terminal there for checking names).
10:42 A taxi lets out five passengers, goes through in one minute. The passengers emerge from inspection about 10:46.
10:44 Another taxi drops off six passengers and returns to Tubas. The passengers cross by 10:50.
From the east: Cars sometimes wait five minutes for the soldier in the right-hand booth to wave them through. Lots of taxis here today; they wait 3-5 minutes and cross without inspection.
11:20 Ma’leh Efrayim
No soldiers or traffic
11:40 Za’tara (Tapuach junction)
No soldiers, heavy traffic
11:55 Huwwara checkpoint
The checkpoint isn’t manned; very heavy traffic. When we arrived we saw about 15 soldiers walking from the large parking lot toward the observation tower. In full kit (helmets, bullet-proof vests, weapon). It was a little scary, but the Palestinian drivers weren’t impressed and drove on as usual, without stopping. The soldiers stood in a group below the tower, and suddenly it appeared like a guided tour – one stood a little higher up, talking, motioning with his hands. It would have been interesting to listen, but we didn’t try.
12:05 The usual traffic and the soldiers are still in the tower’s shade.
12:25 One of the new, large, terrifying armored police jeeps is parked at the entrance to Ramat Gil’ad.
12:40 Eliyau crossing
A sign at the right-hand lane, “Authorized Palestinian Vehicles.” New? We understand that during the week this is a very difficult crossing for vehicles and pedestrians – it takes a long time, and the inspections are endless, but we didn’t see anyone. Only Israeli vehicles at this moment.
Eliyahu CP (109) / Crossing
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Eliyahu CP (109) / Crossing This checkpoint, also known as the Fruit Crossing, is one of the main checkpoints between Israel and the West Bank. It is located on Route 55 between Alfei Menashe and the turn to Qalqilya and Zufin, more than 4 km east of the Green Line, in the separation fence, which separates Qalqilya from its lands to the south, thus leaving Alfei Menashe West of the fence - the Seam Zone. This checkpoint, a few kilometers across the Green Line, is intended for "Israeli settlement in the West Bank and the population of the Seam Zone." It is managed by a civil company. Palestinians with a special permit for their lands in the seam area are also allowed to pass through it, on foot, and sometimes by car.
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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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Ma'ale Efrayim
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Ma'ale Efrayim On the road connecting Route 90 (the Jordan Valley road) to the Allon Road.
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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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