Close to the antique houses of the Old City in al-Khalil the bustle of the busy market which is mostly occupied by merchants’ stalls does not stop. One cannot stop staring at the roof of the market filled with fabrics and goods of every shape to block the sunlight. The road suddenly widens and the clamor fades away as you move forward.
Nothing was heard except the echo of the PIC camera bumping into the wall of an Israeli military tower. Barbered wires garbage and an Israeli flag filled the roof over our heads. The Israeli flag which was at a far-off point in the recent past is now closer than ever and pointing to a great Israeli expansion in the city.
Continuous harassment
Many questions are raised about the situation the residents of the Old City in al-Khalil are living especially in the area adjacent to the settlers’ outposts. The residents of the Old City told the PIC that the settlers deliberately throw their rubbish from the windows of the houses they have seized over the heads of the Palestinian citizens which led the latter to cover the place with barbered wire to alleviate their suffering.
Love of the place
Abu Mohammed 54 a local merchant told the PIC reporter that merchants and citizens no longer want to shop or work in the place due to the harassment they are subjected to by the settlers who are supported by the Israeli army. He added “Because of the lack of support and the absence of initiatives to revive the Old City the settlers have taken advantage of the situation by expanding and seizing more property.”
When he was asked about the reason he continued to work in this place despite the fact that his shop’s area does not exceed two square meters Abu Mohammed said “The fresh air of this place and the authenticity of the past that surrounds it is enough for me because it attaches me to my homeland. I will stay here and never leave despite the continuous attacks.”
Closure of a lifeline
Al-Shuhadaa Street is one of the main and most important streets and represents a lifeline for the Old City of al-Khalil. After the Israeli occupation forces blocked the street 1800 shops were closed and 1300 families were expelled from their houses under the pretext that they were annoying the settlers.
The Hebron Agreement which was signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel in 1997 was an excuse to establish an Israeli presence in the heart of the Old City and expand the scope of attacks in the area. The Ibrahimi Mosque massacre which was committed in 1994 is a proof of the Israeli policy pursued against Palestinians the real owners of the land.
The Old City is currently surrounded by four settlements including Tal Rumeida Beit Hadassah Beit Ibrahim and Beit Romano in addition to 27 settlement outposts that make more than half a million Palestinians hostages to a minority of only 30000 settlers.
Deserted place
We continued our way until we found ourselves facing gates barbered wires and the sounds of the radio phones of the Israeli soldiers who were entrenched behind the barracks filling the city. No-one is allowed to enter the places that have been taken over by the Israelis except for those holding blue IDs or Israeli citizenships after coordinating with the military commander of the area.
The Israeli attacks continue to this day and the smell of death still looms at every alley gate and street as the city witnessed the murder of many civilians in different places. The Old City is an open Palestinian wound and a deserted kingdom left without guards except for its steadfast residents.
