Ramallah Municipality Actions During the War on Gaza

Prepared by: Maram Totah - Ramallah Municipality

Resilient Ramallah is not just a slogan proclaimed by Ramallah Municipality in 2017, but also reflects steps taken by the municipality on the path to resilience. Informing short- and long-term, annual, and strategic planning, it promotes response and adaptation to major challenges that face the operations carried out by the municipality as a local government unit (LGU) under the occupation. In the shadow of the horrors of Israel’s war on our people in the Gaza Strip and brutal practices, daily arrests and extra-judicial killings across the West Bank, the Ramallah Municipality seeks to be a resilient and flexible model in dealing with emergencies. Palestinians are going through this difficult stage, which coincides with the 76th anniversary of the Nakba. Over the years, the municipality has built up experience in addressing emergencies caused by practices of the Israeli occupying forces (IOF), including daily incursions and raids on the city, or from weather conditions, particularly during snowstorms and COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Ramallah Municipality has for long emerged as a role model of flexibility and resilience. Having proven its capacity to counter crises, it stresses its full commitment towards citizens despite the operational challenges posed by the IOF practices. In this exceptional situation, in the aftermath of the war on Gaza and relevant consequences on the West Bank, the municipality has declared a state of emergency and started to implement an integrated emergency plan, including multiple initiatives to support our people in Gaza. 

Receiving Gaza workers in cooperation with the city institutions

The Ramallah Recreational Complex hosted 1,300 Gaza workers inside the Green Line. The IOF had arrested, tortured, and left these workers at checkpoints in the vicinity of the Ramallah city and neighbouring villages. In partnership with the Ramallah and El-Bireh Governor’s Office, the municipality provided essential services to workers, including shelter, food, and clothes. This humanitarian gesture aimed at alleviating workers’ suffering and ensuring their safety. In a spirit of solidarity, the Sareyyet Ramallah – First Ramallah Group joined these efforts, provided logistical support, and helped receive additional workers. 

Meantime, in collaboration with various government bodies and private institutions, the municipality efficiently regulated the reception of workers and provided needed services. In cooperation with the Ministry of Health, Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and Palestinian Medical Relief Society, it established an integrated health clinic inside the Ramallah Recreational Complex and recruited volunteer nurses to monitor the health conditions of, and provide necessary medicines to, workers. Additional health units were created to accommodate a large number of workers. Follow-up activities ensured clean and hygienic spaces and facilities used by workers. 

To meet daily needs and improve living conditions of workers, the municipality converted indoor and outdoor spaces at the Ramallah Recreational Complex into a comprehensive support centre. This activity was volunteered by a number of municipal staff and some local institutions. Jointly with the local community, the municipality launched cooperative initiatives to provide a variety of essential goods, such as clothes, food and hygiene items, creating a safe and convenient environment that fulfilled workers’ basic needs. 

Youth institutions and university students played a pivotal role in supporting workers. Reflecting local community commitment to the principles of social solidarity, these registered workers, provided voluntary services, helped distribute aid, and offered psychological support to workers. Needed support was provided to workers to ensure they are settled and enjoy welfare while they stayed in the city.  

Fundraising campaigns to our people in Gaza 

In a unique collaborative initiative, in partnership with El-Bireh and Beituniya municipalities and city institutions, the Ramallah Municipality launched a large-scale fundraising campaign in support of our people in Gaza. Contributions were made online via e-payment options, municipality’s website (www.ramallah.ps), or banks. Cash contributions were collected through donation boxes distributed to schools and commercial premises. The whole amount was transferred to the PRCS to implement relief projects in Gaza. 

Municipality’s role in supporting community and art initiatives

The role of Ramallah Municipality involved both material and immaterial support. A series of artistic and cultural activities were organized to boost the morale of Palestinians and express solidarity with Gazans. The municipality fully supported an art initiative launched by a group of artists, who erected a symbolic tent at the Outdoor Municipal Theatre. The tent was surrounded by touching photos of the suffering of displaced people. In cooperation with artists and city institutions, the municipality held a vigil to express thanks to South Africa for its ongoing support to the Palestinian cause. The step stressed the deep relations between the Palestinian and South African people and highlighted the importance of international solidarity in support of Palestinian rights. 

To complement these efforts, the Ramallah Municipality sponsored a variety of other art events, which further contributed to raising funds in support of Gaza, promoting awareness of the Palestinian cause, and mobilizing public international opinion to stand in solidarity with our people. These efforts were initiated by supporting the Palestinian Circus School, which organized a circus show at the Ramallah Cultural Palace. Proceeds of the show were all allocated to the All of us are Gaza campaign. Entitled Protectors of the Land, a musical performance was organized, featuring songs of the Intifada. Bringing together a group of musicians, the event was held at Cultural Palace. In a qualitative step, Reflection of a Scene, an art exhibition, was opened, showcasing paintings by an artist who received an art residency grant at the Artists’ Homes, a project of the Ramallah Municipality. The artist managed to capture tragic scenes from Gaza and exposed Israeli war crimes. 
 

The war on Gaza overshadowed the Ramallah Municipality’s cultural and awareness-raising programmes 

Based on its belief in the importance of fostering national awareness and human values among young people, the Ramallah Municipality highlighted pressing national issues in its cultural programmes directed at the city schools. Focused programmes, including The Meaning of Nakba and Readings in Cultural Heritage, were designed to promote students’ understanding of the Nakba and compare it to the current events in Gaza. In cooperation with BDS Palestine, the municipality launched large-scale campaigns at the city schools as well as a central event at the Outdoor Municipal Theatre to raise awareness of boycotting Israeli products. 

In another context, the municipality used religious occasions to raise awareness of the Palestinian cause. Instead of religious celebrations, on Christmas Eve, the Municipal Theatre yard was turned into a work of art that illustrated the suffering of our people. A ruined cave was constructed, suggesting that if Jesus Christ had been born these days, his birth would have been in a ruined cave due to the ongoing IOF bombing of both children and adults. To further emphasize that human suffering transcends religions and races, jointly with churches, the municipality organized a sit-in protest to denounce Israeli crimes, particularly the Gaza Baptist Hospital massacre.  

International mobility

The Ramallah Municipality stepped up its diplomatic efforts. It sent urgent letters to many sister cities around the world, calling for exerting pressure on their governments to stop the war on our people in Gaza. Mayor Issa Kassis also participated in several international forums, highlighting the human suffering of our people in Gaza and the significant challenges facing Palestinian LGUs under the occupation, particularly in the Gaza Strip. 

In a strong symbolic step, the municipality took the initiative to hoist the flags of States that recognised the State of Palestine on the city hall. It also livestreamed the International Court of Justice hearings of the case filed by South Africa against the IOF war crimes in Gaza.  

Challenges facing the municipality due to IOF practices

Over the past months, the Ramallah city saw a sharp decline in commercial activity and inbound tourism. As a result, the municipality took urgent measures to mitigate the impact of this crisis. It decided to reduce vendor stall fees by 50% for a limited period and initiated intensive employment opportunities for field workers. 

On the other hand, the IOF and settlers deliberately obstructed the movement of dump trucks from the waste transfer station in Ramallah to the Zahrat al-Finjan dumpsite in Jenin, creating an acute environmental crisis and piling up large quantities of waste. The municipality had to look for urgent alternative solutions, including the construction of a temporary landfill. The IOF also hindered municipal efforts to develop health infrastructure, preventing the import of needed equipment for the wastewater treatment plant in Batin al-Hawa. 

These difficult circumstances are the most painful. Our Palestinian people have lost over 38,000 martyrs and hundreds of thousands of wounded and prisoners. Still, the Ramallah Municipality has continued to deliver services to the fullest, thanks to the sincere efforts made by municipal team in all areas, citizens’ confidence in their municipality, and fruitful cooperation and partnership with the local community and city institutions. These strong ties and effective partnership between various segments of society reflect the power, resilience, and ability of the Ramallah community to face challenges. 

Our deep faith in our right to this land, resilience, and belief in our just cause promote our work and effort to provide the best to our citizens. This land is ours and will remain ours.