Morning
Zaatara, Sarra, Huwwara, Beit Furik, Tuesday AM, 30 Dec 2003.MachsomWatch Observers: Ophira, Tamar. Mickie, Snait 07:30, Zaatara:2 buses and a few vans- checked out politely and at a reasonable pace. 07:45 – 08:50, Huwwara checkpoint: A hermetic closure [cordoning-off, restriction of movement] on the area and on each individual place.Very few people trying to get into Nablus, mainly to the hospital or because they live there. More people trying to get out to go to other places- because they live in Huwwara, in Jenin, came to attend and bury an elderly parent, etc. The soldiers’ orders are to let in/out only in life-threatening cases and physicians. There were 4 IDF soldiers and a younger reservist DCO called Eran, all rather rigid and afraid to infringe any order/regulation etc.Can they decide who falls within that single permitted category? — apparently not.Example: They wanted to turn away a woman with acute kidney inflammation case(she got in), and they did turn away an old diabetic woman after a retina operation. Eran the DCO turned out to be not very helpful, resenting the fact that he is being sent there, but also rather hostile towards us. Ofer came a bit later, did an amazing job with letting ambulances in and out at record speed, though with the normal thorough inspecting. Many cabs waiting about 500 m or a bit more from the CP in the direction of Huwwara Beit Furik:Under total enclosure 09.10, Sarra:Under total closure. no people around at all.The soldiers let an ambulance go to Nablus very quickly, but told us not to stay there because a 15 kg explosive charge was discovered in that area a couple of days ago. 09.30 Zaatara :A line of 3 buses, 3 trucks, 4 cabs 2 private cars and a couple of vans. Only the same two soldiers checking.( Buses take longest as all passengers have to get off, the driver has to have his papers checked and the bus itself is then searched)
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)
.Shoshi AnbarMay-18-2025Huwara: The old houses in Area C
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Sarra
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Sarra
The checkpoint is installed between the Palestinian village of Sera and the district city of Nablus,
Since 2011, internal barriers Located among the West Bank Israeli settlements have somehow allowed, Palestinian residents to travel and move and reach various Palestinian cities.
After the terrible massacre by the Hammas on October 7 upon Israelis in the communities around Gaza, internal checkpoints manned by the army were installed to prevent free passage for Palestinians.
Many restrictions were imposed on the Palestinians in the West Bank. The prevention of movement shuttered the possibility of making a living in Israel. The number of Palestinian attacks by Israeli extremist settlelers increased along with the radicalization of the army against the Palestinians.
The conduct at the Sera checkpoint is one of the manifestations of the restrictions on all aspects of the Palestinians' lives.
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