Huwwara, Za’tara (Tapuah), יום א’ 25.1.09, בוקר
Translation: Suzanne O.
7:30 a.m.
On the road, a few kilometres before Ariel, a checkpoint.
All the cars are channelled into one lane and pass under the eagle eye of 'our forces' (Border Police? Shabak?)
Za'atra Junction
There are 8 cars from the direction of Nablus.
Huwwara roadblock
8:00
About 20 – 30 people wait in the shed. One detainee is being checked out. The internationals tell us that, before we arrived, the stall holders were turned out of the car park.
9:00 a.m.
The queue disappears from the shed.
3 Border Police soldiers arrived; they brutally turned the stall holders out and overturned their stalls and their goods, including the bagel stand.
Palestinian version: the Border Police didn't just throw the cans of cola etc., out; they also trod on them and kicked them.
Border Police version: we did indeed tip up the stalls but it was the angry stallholders who trod on the cans in the heat of their anger.
In response to our approach the roadblock commander said that the actions of the Border Police have no connection to the roadblock soldiers who "do not deal with this". To be precise: at 5:00 a.m., the roadblock commander told the stallholders to leave according to the Brigade Commander's orders. For those who did not comply he called in the Border Police.
9:15 a.m.
The Border Police unit continues to operate. Perhaps because of our watchful eyes their commander did not overturn the stall with the bags of sweets, he just ordered it to be taken away while watching to see that it was done. He noted the ID numbers of the "criminal" stall holders who will, it seems, get a "black mark".
The Border Police soldiers explain that it is an order from the Brigade Commander and since Thursday they have told the stall holders six times to leave, including twice this morning, but they continue to return.
Edna approaches the roadblock commander with a question: what is happening about the issue of toilets and water at the roadblock … he does not answer. Edna: "Are you prepared to respond to the question?" The commander: "Move away from here, you are not permitted to stand here, vacate this space".
A Border Police soldier heard Edna's question and responded: "Let them urinate at home…"
The Border Police monitor the packing up and loading up process of the cigarettes and drinks vendor.
10:15 a.m.
We leave
We recommend that MachsomWatch initiate an approach to the Brigade Commander requesting that an area of the car park be allocated to the stall holders (a recommendation which one of the Border Police voiced to us).
Huwwara
See all reports for this place-
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)
.
Shoshi AnbarMay-18-2025Huwara: The old houses in Area C
-
Za'tara (Tapuah)
See all reports for this place-
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.
Ronit Dahan-RamatiJun-9-2026Za'atara (Tapuach Junction). The Temple Flag Above a Station
-