Nablus
Summary: The situation, in
contrast to the previous week, is reasonable in Beit Furik, nearly
everybody is let through, whereas in Huwarra south, most people are
turned back. In Huwwara north, people with Nablus addresses are not
permitted to go south.
Beit Furik: Yesterday we heard the horrible story about the woman
who gave birth while being detained at Beit Furik checkpoint, and
the baby girl died (28.8.03).
08:30. The soldiers stand a considerable distance from the queue,
but it was advancing in a reasonable pace. Most people were let
through without permits, but men aged 16-40 needed a permit. To get
a permit is Catch 22 – one has to go through a very dangerous
checkpoint bypass through mountains in order to reach the Huwwara
DCO office. We helped a few humanitarian cases to bypass the line,
but there was really no need. It seems that the soldiers of last
week were replaced. There are separate lines for men and women, and
the atmosphere is relatively relaxed. Trucks with merchandise went
through, as did a mobile clinic of the Red Crescent (after a
thorough check). The soldiers were not willing to discuss the
tragedy with the baby, and the Palestinians were also
reticent.
Huwwara, 0945: Large crowd in Huwwara south, most already refused.
Many humanitarian cases, but the rules today are very strict. Only
people with Nablus address, and students and teachers, are let
through. There is apparently a closure on Nablus because of
military activity. Yesterday, an Israeli soldier was killed in
Nablus, which is the ultimate legitimization for a collective
punishment. The officers in charge say that all medical papers are
forged. The DCO person was already there, but did not ease the
situation. The peddlers said that the difficulties started on last
Sunday, way before the military activity in Nablus. Two young men
in two were allowed to accompany a relative to medical treatment in
Nablus, but only after depositing their IDs with a soldier.
Apparently he came back and got his ID without a problem. The water
container (2500 liter) is empty, and a drinking fountain is not
even connected to water supply. In Huwwara north the situation is
as tough as in the southern end. Two jeeps of blue police are
summoned by the soldiers because of us. The policeman politely
tells us that we are entitled to watch and talk to Palestinians,
but not to disturb the soldiers in their work. No personal details
were requested, and the incident ended without
consequences.
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)
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Shoshi AnbarMay-18-2025Huwara: The old houses in Area C
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