RAMALLAH: Palestinian shops and public institutions were closed across the occupied West Bank Wednesday in protest of an Israeli law passed earlier this week permitting the execution of Palestinians convicted of deadly terror attacks.
In the Palestinian territory’s main cities of Hebron, Ramallah, and Nablus, most stores were closed with their shutters down at midday, AFP journalists reported.
Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas’ Fatah party had called for a general strike the previous day.
In Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority north of Jerusalem, entire shopping centres were closed as well as the city’s main market.
About 150 people gathered to march against the law backed by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
“It’s a crazy law to be passed, it’s insane,” said Mohammed Gussein, a 24-year-old student at Al-Quds University, which like all Palestinian universities, was on strike Wednesday.
“It’s completely out of touch with humanity, and completely racist,” he told AFP. Riman, a 53-year-old psychologist from Ramallah, told AFP that “there isn’t a single person standing here who doesn’t have a brother, a husband, a son, or even a neighbour in prison. There is no Palestinian family without a prisoner.”
“But honestly, today we feel a lot of anger, because there is also a real weakness in solidarity with them. The occupation (Israel) is betting on the weakness of the street,” said Riman, declining to share her last name.
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