The Palestinian Ministerial Council decided on Tuesday to support Hebron’s Old City, in the south of the occupied West Bank, in order to reinforce the persistence of the residents in the face of Israeli settlements and escalation, Anadolu has reported.
In a statement, the council, which held its weekly meeting in Hebron, said: “The Israeli occupation authorities have been planting terrorist settlers in the heart of Hebron; have been planting settlements since 1967; and have been forging history and heritage.” The statement stressed that the PA “will use all means” to reinforce the local Palestinian community in the face of the Israeli measures.
The authority has launched a number of development projects, including financial aid for 1,050 families in Hebron’s Old City, in addition to a number of decisions related to traders and students in the city.
The PA also called for the UN Security Council to put pressure on Israel in order to dismantle the settlements in Hebron, open Shuhadaa Street, which has been closed for years, and enable the Palestinian security services to work in the city.
Calling for the cancellation of the latest Israeli measures, the PA said that these include the prevention of residents under a certain age from entering the Ibrahimi Mosque. It added that the whole mosque should be opened for Muslim worshippers and that the cement blocks placed outside by the Israelis should be removed, thus enabling international monitors to do their work unhindered.
Around 400 Israeli settlers live in property stolen from Palestinians in the heart of the Old City in Hebron. They are protected by 1,500 Israeli soldiers.
Almost 1,000 Palestinian have been obliged to flee the area under a continuous barrage of aggressive acts by the illegal Jewish settlers’ and violations by Israeli troops, including the closure of their homes and main streets in the heart of the city.