WAR | CURRENT EVENTS | PALESTINE

Oct. 8: Update from Ramallah

Holding on. Sumoud. Steadfast on our land — that’s the Palestinian signature, and we are not going anywhere.

Oct. 8, 2023

Statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Garden of Nations playground, Ramallah, Palestine (Photo by the author)

I am overwhelmed by expression of support and people checking on me from all over the world. Thank you!!! 🙏🌸 🙏

Today has been quiet, except for airplanes buzzing high up overhead — presumably on their way to bomb Gaza, knocking down 10- and 12-story stone buildings on their civilian residents. It is painful that my airspace is violated thus.

Ramallah, Palestine (Photo by the author)

The borders and roads are closed. Every city and village in the West Bank is isolated. I was able to take a walk within Ramallah, but cannot leave town. The situation is tense and can change at any moment. Every village and city here is surrounded by Israeli settlements, which have shocked and surprised me with their growth since my last visit in 2020. The settlers are fully armed and many are fanatical. Except for the Palestine Authority police forces, people here are unarmed. We can hear sporadic sirens every once in a while, like right now.

Israeli army base suffocating Ramallah from the South (Photo by the author)

The real pain comes from watching the coverage in the US and European media, which totally assumes Israel’s point of view and ignores our humanity. It’s “war on Israel”. The only civilians that matter are the Israelis. Israel’s attacks on Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank over the last several years are not mentioned. The illegal settlements are ignored. Long-standing violations of our human rights, imprisoning Gazans for 17 years — those are ignored. The terminology is appalling, giving it to Israel all ways. It is a “war”, but the POWs Hamas takes are “hostages”, while Palestinian prisoners — including many children — have lingered in Israeli jails for years without trial. Israel’s practice of Apartheid, which has been well-documented by Amnesty International and other human rights organizations is not even mentioned.

Flowers spilling over a wall on Nizar Qabbani St. (Photo by the author)

Holding on. Sumoud. Steadfast on our land — that’s the Palestinian signature, and we are not going anywhere.

Mural of Angela Davis (Photo by the author)

With love from Palestine,

Ramsey Hanhan