Back to reports search page

Hamra, Tayasir, Wed 19.3.08, Afternoon

Place: Hamra (Beqaot) Tayasir CP
Tags: Cab drivers Children Hitches at checkpoints Slow passage
Observers: Annina, Ayelet, and Yehudit
Mar-19-2008
| Afternoon

Translation: Devorah K.

At the entrance to Bardeleh, the big red sign that forbade entrance to area A has now been painted black (see photo).

1300 Tayasir
One truck is standing in front of the CP in order to go to Tubas. In the CP there are four soldiers, but they are not paying attention to the truck.
On the other side, a few cars are waiting, but nobody calls them either.
After about ten minutes, they call the truck and it goes through the CP.
The soldiers begin to let the children, going home from school, pass through the CP. Ten children stand and wait, and after 35 minutes a small car arrives. It goes through the CP and collects them all. Afterwards we meet them in the Bedouin tents along the road.
A taxi driver, A., tells us that on Saturday he has waited for three hours; today he waited only for an hour. He asked for my telephone number in order to report on the problems that arise in the CP. He claims that during the last week conditions have grown worse and the wait time at the CP is far longer than usual. After him a few more cars go through to collect the men and women teachers who are going home.
1350 The CP was now empty and we left for Hamra.

1415 Hamra
Ten cars from the east (the Jiftlik), and seven from the west are standing and waiting. Suddenly, after we were at the CP for ten minutes (we stood near the concrete huts), without any special signal, the CP closed. We waited to see what would happen. After a few minutes two soldiers came up to us, one of them saying that he was the CP commander. Both of them started to ask us questions: "What are you?" "You're not allowed to be here." I brought the two letters from the legal counsellor to show them that they are not allowed to close the CP just because we are there. They read the letters carefully for a quarter of an hour, and then one soldier suddenly had an idea, namely that the CP was not closed for "general closure," which the letters says is forbidden. It is only partially closed. Moreover, he said, there are a lot of allerts about terrorist atttacks and that is why nobody can go through as usual. In the meantime, many cars arrived in both directions, and the two soldiers opened the CP and began to let those coming from the east through very very slowly.
We decided to leave so as not to cause trouble for the workers who have left for work early in the morning. But just then a car arrived and two first sergeants got out of it.  They began to let all the cars through without any inspection at all. In the course of a quarter of an hour, all of them went through quickly, while the two soldiers stood and watched the show. They could not continue their "Italian strike." The CP emptied out and we left.

  • Hamra (Beqaot)

    See all reports for this place
    •  

      One of the Jordan Rift Valley checkpoints that prevent direct transit between the West Bank and the Jordan Valley, in addition to Tayasir Checkpoint. Located next to Hamra settlement, on Route 57 and the Allon Road.

      Read about the peple of the Jordan Valley and the quiet transfer happening there.

      עין שיבלי: עזים וכבשים
      Shahar Shiloh
      Nov-3-2021
      Ein Shibli: grazing begins close to home
      View the full album

  • Tayasir CP

    See all reports for this place

    • Located on road 5799, It is one of the checkpoints control the passage between the northern West Bank and the Jordan Valley. For a long time, it stood empty and open, with only a sign next to it warning against entering Area A. It was adjacent to an old military camp - now everything is neglected. How much money was invested here, and how much brainwashing was done to the soldiers of Netzah Yehuda and Kfir.

       

      Today, it is very difficult to pass there. Many delays. Often, teachers from Tubas are not allowed to pass into the Valley to villages like Ein al-Bida where the local schools are located, and there are no classes. There are additional days when the checkpoint is closed. In general, there is a wait there of about two to four hours to go towards the Valley and also to return. Many times the Palestinians are forced to use the Hamra checkpoint, which also leads into Tubas and the West Bank, but there is also a huge queue there and a long wait.

       

      Following a deadly attack on soldiers at the nearby base in February 2025, the checkpoint was completely closed for the time being. (Updated March 2025)

Donate