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Open Shuhada Street, Hebron Campaign gathers pace

February 22, 2017 at 3:02 am

Palestinian women walk toward their houses in al-Shuhada street, which is largely closed to Palestinians, in the city centre of the West Bank town of Hebron, on September 24, 2020 [HAZEM BADER/AFP via Getty Images]

The seventh annual youth-led Palestinian campaign to re-open the main street in occupied Hebron, gathered pace today. At three pm local time the campaign were scheduled to raise the Palestinian flag in Tel Rumieda, nearby.

According to the campaign’s website, in the following days there will be a tour of Hebron’s old city for diplomats, journalists, and a Veterans For Peace delegation from the US, including former CIA analyst, Ray McGovern; an official visit to Shuhada Street from Israeli parliament member Dove Hanin, a parliament member of Israel’s Arab party; and a film screening.

The main event, however, will be a protest on Shuhada Street where, it is hoped, thousands of people will gather to protest the closure and will attempt to enter the besieged market street.

On the final day of the campaign, there will be a commemoration to remember the Ibrahimi mosque massacre that took place in 1994 when Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein opened fire in killed 29 Palestinians in worship. Since that day, Shuahda Street, once the main street and marketplace, has been cut off for Palestinians.

The Youth Against Settlements Open Shuhada Street campaign, are aligned with various European and international solidarity groups, and they aim to reopen Shuhada street and end the closures and inequality in Hebron and throughout Palestine and Israel.