Latest news with #Nablus
The Independent
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Exhibition of Palestinian dress and embroidery to open at V&A Dundee
An exhibition of Palestinian dress and embroidery is set to open at V&A Dundee, as the city marks 45 years since it was twinned with Nablus in the West Bank. Thread Memory: Embroidery From Palestine brings together more than 30 historical dresses, alongside veils, head-dresses, jewellery, accessories and archival photographs. The exhibition explores the ways tatreez – an ancient practice of elaborate hand-embroidery – has shaped and expressed Palestinian national identity since the late 19th century and evolved into a form of resistance and solidarity. It also showcases the regional variations in dressmaking and embroidery across Palestine, with the cut, colour, textiles, stitches and motifs on Palestinian women's dress being both a highly skilled craft and a language which reveals who the wearer is and where they are from. Leonie Bell, director of V&A Dundee, said: 'Thread Memory: Embroidery From Palestine is an exhibition that through research, collections and partnership explores the traditions and material culture of Palestinian dress and the vast range of regional styles that tell important stories about the lives of the women who made, adapted and wore these dresses, jewellery, head-dresses and accessories. 'The exhibition also explores the 45-year-old connection between Dundee and Nablus, a twinning relationship that has brought these two cities together, and it celebrates contemporary Palestinian design and creativity from Dundee, Scotland and across the UK.' The exhibition includes 'spectacular' historical dresses from villages in Gaza – including one that was damaged in the bombing of the Rafah Museum in 2023. It also features the dress worn by Dundee councillor Nadia El-Nakla at the swearing-in ceremony of her husband, former first minister Humza Yousaf. Ms El-Nakla said she is 'delighted' to welcome the exhibition to V&A Dundee. 'Design and culture are peaceful and powerful forms of resistance and solidarity,' she said. 'Palestinian fashion and dress express ideas about who we have been, who we are and the lives we want to live in peace and with dignity. 'This exhibition is opening at a time of extreme pain and suffering. It's bringing design from Palestine to life and tells the stories of women's lives in Palestine. 'I am proud that my dress, or thobe, that I wore at the Scottish Parliament is there as an expression of my Scottish-Palestinian identity, and as a symbol of solidarity, hope and peace.' The exhibition was developed in partnership with the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit in the West Bank, drawing on local expertise and objects from Palestine, as well as with Art Jameel and the V&A.
Arab News
18-06-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Iran-Israel war fears spark fuel shortages in West Bank
'Fearing potential supply disruptions or further escalation, citizens across the West Bank have begun stockpiling fuel,' said Abu Al-RobIn the northern West Bank city of Nablus, dozens of drivers waited in line for fuelRAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: Fears over the war between Israel and Iran have led to fuel shortages in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority told AFP Wednesday, as drivers queued in long lines to buy fuel.'Fearing potential supply disruptions or further escalation, citizens across the West Bank have begun stockpiling fuel, putting additional pressure on an already strained market,' said Mohammad Abu Al-Rob, director of the PA's communications decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel on Friday launched a massive bombing campaign that prompted Iran to respond with missiles and PA official said there has also been 'a noticeable decline in the number of fuel tankers arriving from Israel, some of which have been redirected for use by the Israeli occupation army.'In the northern West Bank city of Nablus, dozens of drivers waited in line for Ayoub, a resident of Nablus who had been waiting in line for two hours, said he hoped to finally purchase fuel after several failed attempts.'I came yesterday at about 11:00 p.m. and found the gas stations closed. I also came early in the morning and the situation was the same.'Ahmad Samaana, a truck driver from Nablus, complained of limits placed on fuel purchases.'Large trucks, like the one I have, need about 500 liters, but when we enter the station, the worker at the station tells me that he allows filling up with a value of 500 shekels, which is less than 100 liters of diesel,' he told AFP.'This is not enough for a truck.'Abu Al-Rob noted that 'the (fuel) supply chain remains entirely subject to Israel's will and control,' as the country controls all entry points into the West Bank, which it has occupied since relayed the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority's call 'to safeguard the flow of essential supplies — particularly fuel for hospitals, bakeries, and other critical sectors' should the situation worsen.
Arab News
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Israeli forces kill young Palestinian, arrest 60 during night raids in West Bank
LONDON: Israeli forces killed a 21-year-old Palestinian and arrested at least 60 people during night raids on Tuesday across various towns in the occupied West Bank, including a woman, children, and former political prisoners. The Palestinian Authority's affiliated groups, the Commission of Prisoners' Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner's Society, announced on Wednesday that Israeli forces have arrested 160 Palestinians in the West Bank so far this week. Some of those arrested were later released following interrogation. Moataz Al-Hajjleh, 21, from the town of Al-Walaja village near Bethlehem, was killed during an Israeli raid of the area overnight. Israeli forces conducted arrests and investigations during raids in several Palestinian governorates, including Nablus, Jenin and Ramallah. Israeli forces have turned dozens of Palestinian houses into military points after forcibly expelling their inhabitants in the Jenin environs, the Wafa news agency reported. At the same time, several villages had their entrances closed with earth mounds or gates. The prisoners' groups added that ongoing mass detention operations by Israeli forces 'continue to be the most prominent, consistent, and systematic policies employed by the occupation to undermine any escalating resistance against it.'
Arab News
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Israel military raids West Bank camps
RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: Israeli troops raided two Palestinian refugee camps in the occupied West Bank's north overnight, the military said, as Israel presses offensives on multiple fronts. The military said that at 'around 4:00 a.m. Israeli forces entered Balata camp,' near the northern city of Nablus, for 'a routine counter-terrorism operation.' It added that the troops had been deployed to the nearby Askar camp prior to the operation in Balata camp. Imad Zaki, head of the popular services committee of Balata camp, also said that the military began its raid at 4:00 a.m. (0100 GMT) on Wednesday. 'They closed all entrances to the camp, seized several homes after evicting their residents, and ordered the homeowners not to return for 72 hours. These homes were turned into military outposts and interrogation centers,' Zaki said. 'The soldiers are conducting house-to-house and neighborhood-to-neighborhood searches, destroying the contents of homes and physically assaulting the residents,' Zaki said. He added that life had been 'largely paralyzed' for the camp's residents but that no injuries were reported. In a separate statement, the military said that its forces had 'neutralized' one Palestinian overnight in the West Bank village of Al-Walaja near Jerusalem. They said that as the troops were deployed in the area, a Palestinian armed with a knife 'attempted to stab (Israeli) soldiers who were operating in the area and steal their weapons.' 'The soldiers responded with fire and neutralized the terrorist,' the army said, using a term it normally uses when someone has been killed. The Israeli military said Tuesday that its forces had been active in various parts of the Jenin area, in the northern West Bank. It said in a statement that its forces had arrested five Palestinian militants suspected of planning attacks on Israel. Throughout the Gaza war, violence in the West Bank – a separate Palestinian territory – has soared, as have calls to annex it, most notably from Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Since the start of the war in October 2023, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 939 Palestinians, including many militants, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Over the same period, at least 35 Israelis including civilians and soldiers have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military raids, according to official Israeli figures.
BBC News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Brent Council defends decision to twin with Nablus
A north-west London council has defended its decision to twin with an occupied city in the West a full council meeting held in May, Brent Council voted to twin with Nablus to promote "cultural, social, economic, and educational exchanges".Since then, a petition has been set up against the move, saying the twinning did not give due regard to the effects this decision would have on all of its Labour council leader Muhammed Butt said it "was not taken lightly" and that it "followed a period of public engagement, including a petition signed by more than 2,000 residents". In an email response to residents, Butt said he wanted to "acknowledge the pain and trauma that continue to affect Jewish communities both here in Brent and around the world following the horrific terrorist attacks committed by Hamas on October 7th".He said the decision to twin did not represent "support for any political group or administration in Nablus"."Rather, it reflects Brent's humanitarian values and a desire to connect with ordinary people in another part of the world who, like us, strive for peace, education, dignity, and progress for the next generation," he said. Nablus sits in the West Bank, a landlocked territory illegally occupied by Israel in a war in 1967, along with the Gaza Strip. Hamas has controlled Gaza, while Fatah administers most of the West Bank. The two groups are rivals; the Hamas movement was founded to challenge the Fatah-led Palestinian Liberation Organisation and took control of the Gaza Strip in has recognised Israel, said it renounced terrorism in 1988 and seeks a two-state solution for a Palestinian homeland; Hamas is committed to the destruction of Israel and killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostage in a cross-border attack on 7 October then, more than 50,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. 'Raise awareness' Brent's Labour group leader Ihtesham Afzal spearheaded the campaign for the partnership. He called the decision "momentous" and "significant"."We'll be doing cultural exchanges, sharing art, history, culture, tradition, poetry, language along with architecture," he said."We'll be collaborating for the mutual benefit of both Brent and Nablus."He added the scheme would "raise awareness about what's happening in Palestine" and that it was first mentioned in 2021-22. "This has not been triggered over what happened in the last couple of years, it's been a long time coming," he money would come from the council's budget and council workers' time would not be spent on it as it was a community project, he added. According to the 2021 Census, Brent has the second highest Arab diaspora in England and Wales, second only to Birmingham with Arabs making up 5.3% of the Brent population (17,924 people)."This is a non exclusionary project. This is showcasing what we're about in Brent; we have Muslim people, Christian people, Jewish people, Hindu, Sikh - we have everybody across the board. We are a melting pot," said asked if he had heard back from the Jewish community on taking part, he said "not in relation as to whether they'll be part of this initiative"."When out on the marches, we have Jewish people, Christian people, Muslim people, Hindu, Sikh, everybody is out. People of all faiths and no faiths and we have that evidence of the support (of the twinning) from the grassroots individuals in the community." 'Particularly dangerous' But Conservative councillor Michael Maurice, who opposed the move, said he was "disappointed" with the decision and that it would be "dangerous" for Brent residents to go to Nablus on exchange trips. "When the motion was first put forward back in November, I proposed a counter motion that Brent should twin with a city or town possibly in Israel which had a mixed Jewish, Arab, Christian community."I'm not opposed to twinning with any particular cities, but I think Nablus is particularly dangerous." On Tuesday, the Israeli army launched a raid on the city, killing two Palestinians according to the Palestinian ministry of health. The Israeli army said it was undertaking a counterterrorism ministers have recently approved new Jewish settlements which are widely seen as illegal under international law, though Israel disputes said twinning was also a question of exchange visits. "In other words, we will go to them and stay with them and take part in their programme and they can come to us and take part in our programmes but it would be very dangerous for us to go there."The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office travel currently advises against all but essential travel to Nablus. Motasem Zaid, a Palestinian engineer who lives in Brent, said he was overwhelmed by the support and solidarity he was shown by people in the believed twinning was about forming a long-term relationship that would last beyond the conflict."It can be and it will be hopefully beneficial for both communities economically, culturally, even with the exchange between the educational institutions between the two communities," he said."The twinning is not meant to exclude anyone. It's meant to do the opposite, it's meant to include everyone."It's not going to cost the council or the taxpayer anything. So to me, if I'm taking this solidarity part out of the equation, it's a risk-free investment."Jewish resident Ian Collier said the twinning was not started the petition against the decision and is calling on the council to reconsider. "Everybody that I spoke to was quite disgusted, as I was, about the idea and the concept," he said."We felt it was just totally out of character with what a council should be doing for its residents."We don't believe it's in the interest of some elements of the community and it does put a number of people in the community at physical harm."At the last count, there were 3,700 Jews living in Brent. I believe that each and everyone of them will feel more threatened because of any particular influence that people in Brent, or worse still the children of people in Brent, receive from having correspondence or interaction with the people of Nablus." Retired GP Jonathan Fluxman, who represents a different Jewish voice in Brent, said twinning would foster understanding."We've heard the stories over and over again," he said. "Othering of Palestinians, of Arabs, of people from the Middle East. 'They're not like us. They don't share our values'. "I think that's nonsense. We are all human beings. We all share a common humanity, and what we need to do is interact with each other and understand each other."There's been a lot of talk about Jewish fears of safety and being made uncomfortable. I have no sense of fear about this." According to the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) the UK has approximately 2,000 twinning links, which are legal or social agreements between two cities, towns or villages, to boost trade and tourism, promote peace and cultural exchange. The LGIU said such arrangements were "good for fostering business connections and mutually beneficial economic partnerships".Brent has also been twinned with South Dublin County Council since 1997.
