Dr. Dauod Zatari mayor of Hebron, held a meeting with the British political consul "Edward Evans," and discussed the difficulties that Palestinians face due to the Israeli occupation. Dr. Zatari recommended that the British government put pressure on the Israeli government to reopen the Shuhada Street which has been closed by the Israeli military since 1994 after the massacre committed against the Muslim worshipers in the Ibrahimi Mosque.

 

This came during the meeting, which was held in Hebron Municipality; in which the real political and economic situation was demonstated, as well as the suffering of the citizens as a result of the policies of the Israeli occupation and the attacks carried out by settlers against Palestinian civilians.

 

Dr. Zatari has elaborated during the meeting about the violations committed by the Israeli authorities against Palestinians in the southern region of the city, the obstacles to freedom of worship in the Ibrahimi Mosque and the checkpoints and closures in the old town, which s the freedom of movement and impedes the economic development.

 

In addition, Dr. Zatari illustrated the implications of Shuhada Street closure, and the importance of the street describing it as the artery vital connector between the north and south of the city. Dr. Zatari focused on the suffering incurred by the citizens as a result of using alternative routes to reach their destinations, despite the agreements that emphasize the Palestinians' right to use the street based on the Israeli courts decision which requires the re-opening of the street.

 

Dr. Zaatari also focused on the difficulties that Hebron Municipality crews face while performing their duty to the city's residents in the areas of H2 as a result of the complications imposed by the Israeli authorities in terms of coordination and not allowing the Palestinian security to enter the area.

 

On the other hand, 'Evans’ illustrated their awareness of the reality of the situation and the difficulties encountered by the Palestinians in the city due to the violations of the human rights.In addition, Evans illustrated their understanding of the Palestinian demands and showed their support to lots of sectors and projects which reaches up to approximately 100 million pounds to improve the lives of Palestinians.

 

At the end of the meeting Evans promised to convey the real image of life in the city of Hebron and to convey the mayor's demands to the government and higher authorities in the United Kingdom as well as to study the possibilities of providing assistance to the city and to municipality projects.