Majd Al-Saadi, the manager of the Cinema Hotel, arrived in a hurry. In the lobby of the most luxurious establishment in Jenin, in the north of the occupied West Bank, he gets to the heart of the matter with a large circular gesture of the hand. Apart from the receptionist who smiles stoically behind her counter, the place is empty. “This is the effect of the Gaza war. Our clientele is 95% Israeli Arabs. Since October 7, we have lost all these customers, who can no longer come to the West Bank to do their shopping and have fun as usual”he said.
The northern tip of the Gaza Strip is more than 150 kilometers away as the crow flies. But the blast effect of Israeli bombings is felt here, in the West Bank. The Jalameh military roadblock, the access route to Jenin from Israeli territory, has been closed since October 7. Other crossing points, too rare, remain open. But taking them means engaging in such detours that Palestinians in Israel refuse to do. Even within the West Bank, some roads are blocked by mounds of earth and concrete blocks whose locations are constantly changing, and others have become dangerous due to the risk of being attacked by Jewish settlers.
Finally, the operations of the Israeli army, which has entered Jenin at regular intervals since the start of the Gaza war, to arrest or kill members of armed groups, constitute a final dissuasive factor for those who would still be tempted to come shopping in town. As soon as a military operation begins there, the access roads to Jenin are closed.
Forced unemployment
The extent of the traffic restrictions, introduced after October 7, is even broader. Nearly 200,000 Palestinians from the West Bank, who worked in Israel before the war, have had their permits suspended since the outbreak of hostilities. Now forced unemployed, they no longer bring home a salary. According to the latest report from the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS), in Ramallah, the total amount of purchases made by Palestinians from Israel in the West Bank in 2020 amounted to $1.4 billion (US$1.3 billion). euros). And their favorite destination was Jenin (50% of visits).
Developing a business in a country under military occupation: Majd Al-Saadi knows this puzzle by heart. His brother, who is suspected of belonging to Hamas, is wanted by Israeli forces. In mid-October, they reportedly advised his father, Abdullah, to evacuate the hotel, suggesting that if his son did not surrender, the establishment could be targeted. A complete loss. But that didn’t help bring back customers. The city, considered the stronghold of armed groups in the West Bank, continues to be the scene of raids by the Israeli army. A few weeks ago, the fighting took place in front of the hotel. The latest military operation, on the night of Tuesday December 12, left seven people dead.
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