Huwwara
Huwwara, Wednesday 5.7.2006, PMObservers; Nitza G. Rachel G. (guest) Devorka A. (reporting)Natanya translating.A very quiet shift probably as a result of the “freezing of life” which has reigned since the morning. Few returned from Nablus to Hawarra and other villages. The handling of the checkpoint was quieter than usual. Maybe because of the commander , G. But all the same the miserable practice of detained people for unsuitable behavior in line continues and the soldiers at the checkpoint did not deny this.15.15 -On road 5 next to the crossroads Kufer A Dik about a dozen Palestinians, men and women who were going on foot in the direction of Charis on the north side of the road. Under no circumstances can they go by car on the forbidden road 5 even for the short distance between the two villages.15.25 Crossroads of Za’atara. No cars from the west and 10 in the direction of Ramallah.15.30 Crossroads of Burin …no checkpoint.Hawarra. About 50 people in the hut and they say that they wait about half an hour. One of the detainees had been too “awake” in the line. It is obvious that the commander does not enjoy detaining him but he gives backup to the soldier who decided to do so. About half an hour after he has been brought to the place he is freed.16.50 Beit Furik no cars or people.17.10 Hawarra. There are now 20 people in the hut and few cars. 4 ambulances passed while we were there.18.00 Za’atara…no cars in either direction
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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