Ramallah: Reaching Ramallah, the capital of the West Bank, involves navigating the maze-like Qalandria checkpoint. On the other side, chaotic scenes reminiscent of bustling Indian streets unfold, starkly contrasting the organised atmosphere of areas bordering the checkpoint. At present, the checkpoint allows only one-way pedestrian access to Ramallah. Exiting requires either an Israeli identity card or a foreign passport and a journey by taxi to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv.

At the heart of the city, in Manara Square, approximately 50 protestors gather, waving Palestinian flags amid the bustling market scene. Pedestrians manoeuvre around vegetable vendors, while policemen seemingly make half-hearted attempts to regulate the traffic.

Protestors chant anti-America and anti-Israel slogans

The atmosphere intensifies as protestors chant anti-America and anti-Israel slogans, demanding justice. Leading them is Father Abdullah, a priest from the Palestine Melkite Greek Catholic Church. “Our people in Gaza are facing genocide. We yearn for peace, justice, and our own independent nation with Jerusalem as its capital,” he says.

“Joe Biden collaborates with Benjamin Netanyahu against the Palestinian people. The ongoing genocide in Gaza is met with global silence,” says Tayseer Zabre, a 65-year-old political activist.

Fakhr Assr, a Ramallah taxi driver who says,

“I haven’t crossed the Qalandria checkpoint in 20 years and haven’t prayed in Jerusalem. What’s my crime? Am I a terrorist?”

Despite the gravity of the protests, there is only a handful of foreign journalists present.

Elsewhere in the West Bank, since the October 7 Hamas attack, unrest continues to grow. Reports from Palestinian officials claim Israel has detained 4,000 labourers, as well as 1,070 Palestinians from East Jerusalem.

Palestinians reel under Israeli attack

According to the UN’s humanitarian office, the week that followed Hamas attack was the deadliest for Palestinians in the West Bank since it began reporting fatalities in 2005, with at least 75 Palestinians killed by the Israeli military or settlers, and incidents of settler violence up from an average of three a day to eight.

Adding to the tension, allegations have surfaced of a brutal assault by Israeli soldiers and settlers on three Palestinians. Their harrowing testimonies, shared with the Haaretz daily, describe hours of torture on October 12. The Israeli Defense Forces have since confirmed an ongoing investigation, with the commanding officer relieved from duty.

• KAJAL AGARWAL