REPORTAGE
Palestinian Territories: Nablus, a second Gaza?
Audio 03:30
Palestinians walk near the site where Israeli forces destroyed an explosives laboratory belonging to an armed group calling itself 'Areen Al Oussoud', in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, Tuesday (October 25th).
AP - Majdi Mohammed
Text by: Sami Boukhelifa Follow
4 mins
The Palestinian city of Nablus has been besieged by the Israeli army for two weeks.
The troops of the Hebrew State are increasing the raids in this region of the north of the occupied West Bank.
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With our special correspondent in Nablus
,
Sami Boukhelifa
In the sky of Nablus, the roar of Israeli surveillance drones mixes with calls to prayer.
The objective of the troops of the Hebrew State is to hunt down and eliminate the members of
“Areen Al Oussoud”
(the lion's den, in French).
This new Palestinian armed group advocates the fight to end the occupation.
In the midst of this chaos, the population is caught in a vice.
Some 250,000 people live in and around Nablus.
They bear the brunt of the Israeli siege.
The city center, usually strangled by traffic jams, is almost empty.
In the old town, the Al Yasmeen hotel is deserted.
A waiter waits, arms crossed on the bar, a receptionist, on his mobile phone, and a director, Salem Hantoli, seated in his office, in front of his computer.
“
Here is our reservation chart: As you can see, last night we only had two rooms occupied.
Today, nothing.
Tomorrow, nothing.
The day after tomorrow, nothing either.
This group canceled their reservation today.
This other group, which was due to arrive on October 27, also canceled their reservation.
As you can see, everything is empty
,” he notes.
►Also read: Palestinian territories: the city of Nablus blocked by the Israeli army
For two weeks, the Israeli headquarters has been depriving the city of its visitors.
Usually, the hotel's 30 rooms mainly host foreigners, members of NGOs, or Israeli Arabs.
Salem Hantoli denounces collective punishment.
“
How can we accept that 250,000 people are besieged?
And for what reason ?
Because you are hunting fifteen Palestinian fighters, who are fighting for freedom, and who are somewhere in the old city?
And so for that reason, you lock down an entire population, and you kill the economy?
And nobody says anything!
Neither the Arab countries, nor the United States, and even less the United Nations!
As if nothing happened.
It is the 15ᵉ day of siege.
Welcome to Palestine… From now on, Nablus is Gaza.
A second Gaza
,” he said.
“Impact on public health, economy and education”
The national anthem of Palestine resounds at the headquarters of the Union of Workers' Unions of Nablus.
It marks the beginning of an important interdepartmental meeting.
But the Palestinian Authority has no leverage to pressure Israel into ending its siege.
For Nacer Abu Jeish, coordinator of the Palestinian factions, this meeting is mainly intended to highlight the current situation in the Palestinian Territories.
“
Nablus governorate is in pain
.
This seat has an impact on public health, on the economy, on education,
he notes.
We are talking about Nablus, but there are also 57 villages in the region that are in this same situation of siege.
We have people with kidney failure who need to come for dialysis in Nablus.
Even ambulances can no longer circulate freely.
27
000 students are enrolled at Al Najah University in Nablus, it is the largest in the country.
Only a minority still manage to attend classes.
And it's all because of this extremist Israeli government.
»
According to Nacer Abu Jeish, the headquarters, the operations of the Israeli army, all this is part of the strategy of the Israeli officials.
In election time, like now, they intensify the repression.
Their goal, he explains, is to seduce a country that is increasingly racist and well anchored on the right.
“
History repeats itself with every vote.
Israeli ballot papers are soaked in Palestinian blood.
Our people are paying the price for their election propaganda.
And he pays for it with his life.
They wish to destroy us.
They oppress us, they grab our land.
»
This is why, despite all the difficulties endured by the inhabitants of Nablus since the beginning of the siege, the population supports the Areen Al Oussoud brigade.
And sees in his fight against the Israeli forces, a necessity.
►Also read
:
Six Palestinians killed in Israeli raids in the West Bank
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