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Hamra, Tayasir, Za’tara (Tapuah), Thu 11.3.10, Afternoon

Place: Hamra (Beqaot) Tayasir CP Za'tara (Tapuah)
Tags: Maltreatment Soldiers at checkpoints
Observers: Daphna B, Yifat D (reporting and photographing)
Mar-11-2010
| Afternoon

Guest: Ruthi R

Dusty, hot, hamsin day. Long lines at Hamra and Tayasir checkpoints. Soldiers’ terrorising of bedouin at Hamam el-Maliah.

11:25 Zaatra Checkpoint
A soldier stands in the centre of the square, on a concrete block 1.5 metres high. Rifle pointing, he orders a Palestinian crossing the square to show the content of his bag.

11:58 Hamra Checkpoint
Long lines of cars, 14 from the west to the valley, 18 from the east to the West Bank. The first in line have been waiting 40 minutes.

Works at the checkpoint – trucks and labourers: the checkpoint is encircled by a fence on both sides, and has gained in area. The detainees hut is separated behind plastic sheeting. The examination hut is now isolated. A trench has been dug to the right of the checkpoint. Five soldiers standing idly by. Two soldiers checking the cars very slowly, passing a car through once every five minutes. With screeching tires a vehicle with soldiers pulls away, raising a cloud of dust over the waiting people in the desert heat, among them a mother with a newborn baby. It is 25 minutes that they have waited for their car to pass the check. Among them, one tells us that he grew eggplants and tomatoes at Jiftlik, but stopped some time ago because there is no water, and everyone is marketing solely to Nablus and there really is no one to sell to.

A Palestinian cleaner of the checkpoint is eating food that the soldiers gave him. He asks, delicately, whether he can take the remaining bread home, and then later he asks the soldiers why they are passing the transients through so slowly in this heat.

Photo captions: 1. Food strewn in H.’s tent.
2. H.’s tent ripped by officer Yosef.
האוכל השפוך צילום יפעת דורון

We pass acquaintances from Hamam el Maliah on the road to Tayasir Checkpoint, and go to H., who lives in a small tent. On Saturday an army jeep passed by. An officer, Yosef, came and demanded a plant that H. did not have – he only grows peas. The plant that Yosef wanted is protected and the Palestinians cannot harvest it, even though traditionally it was part of their available food. Two days later, Yosef returned with another soldier. H. was not home. His sister watched from a neighbouring home while the two ripped the tent and entered to overturn it.

האוהל הקרוע צילום יפעת דורון

14:18 Tayasir Checkpoint
On an ordinary day a car comes every 15 minutes. Therefore it was surprising to find eight cars waiting at this hour. After we arrived the soldiers worked fast and the line soon disappeared. The pedestrian hut (passengers forced to cross the checkpoint on foot) was full when we arrived, but emptied quickly after our arrival. On the soldiers’ hut a poster informs about this week’s Bible portion…

  • Hamra (Beqaot)

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    •  

      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.

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  • Tayasir CP

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    • 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)

  • 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.  
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