A Swedish parliamentary delegation expressed its surprise over conditions in Hebron and its Old City following a tour aimed at getting a first-hand view of obstacles and closures imposed by occupation authorities which go against international law and Human Rights.

Delegation members were speaking at a meeting with Hebron Mayor KhaledOsaily at his office today. Headed by Peter Radberg, the Swedish delegation comprised MPs from the Social Democratic Party and the Greens.

At the beginning of the meeting, Osaily spoke about conditions in Hebron, its division into two parts, Israeli measures against Palestinians living in H2 areas still under occupation, daily violations by Israeli soldiers and settlers against Muslim worshippers at Al Ibrahimi Mosque, the impact of closures on the daily life of Palestinians as well as the economic slowdown in Hebron due to closures. Osaily also highlighted the importance of implementing new projects in the city given their positive impact on Palestinians. “Despite all obstacles and harsh conditions, we insist on building our city so that our children enjoy a normal life like all other children in the world. We want to prove to the international community that we are capable of building our State and that we have the necessary capacities and skills to succeed and achieve real development on all levels. During the past few years, Hebron Municipality has implemented a large number of projects thanks to support from President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad, with funds from Arab and Muslim States as well as from friendly peace loving nations who believe in the rights of the Palestinian people, including SIDA which supports rehabilitation and infrastructure projects in the Old City. I would like to thank the Swedish government and people for their support to Palestinians in general and to Hebron in particular. However, these projects do not cover all our needs. We are still in need of additional projects, support and funds from friendly States which are keen on seeing justice prevail and which believe in Human Rights so that Palestinians retrieve their rights and build their fully sovereign State. Today, an historic opportunity is present thanks to President Abbas who considers peace to be a strategic option, while Israel continues rejecting peace, as was seen by the latest declaration by PM Netanyahu before the US Congress. There must be international support to the Palestinian leadership next September and I urge you to take the necessary steps in your country to support the choice of Palestinians”, he added.

Peter Radberg spoke in admiration about the Palestinian people’s capacity of adaptation and attempts to improve their living conditions. “We in Sweden hear about the difficult conditions in Hebron but I did not imagine such a dire situation as the one I have seen on the ground. This visit was extremely important for us in order to understand what the reality is in Hebron and its Old City. I wish to see peace prevail in the region and for Palestinians to live a normal life. Rest assured that we shall convey a true picture of what we have witnessed here today to relevant authorities in our country”, he added.