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131-419: Jalud is located 17 kilometers (11 mi) south of Nablus (distance from the center of the village to the city center of Nablus). It is bordered by Duma to the east, Qusra and Talfit to the north, As Sawiya and Qaryut to the west, and Turmus Ayya to the south. Potsherds from Iron Age II , Hellenistic , Byzantine , Umayyad , Crusader / Ayyubid and Mamluk eras have been found here. Jalud

262-481: A local council status with populations of 2,000–20,0000, such as Alfei Menashe , Eli , Elkana , Efrat and Kiryat Arba . There are also clusters of villages governed by a local elected committee and regional councils that are responsible for municipal services. Examples are Kfar Adumim , Neve Daniel , Kfar Tapuach and Ateret . Kibbutzim and moshavim in the territories include Argaman , Gilgal , Na'aran and Yitav . Jewish neighborhoods have been built on

393-502: A Palestinian community in the West Bank . It was lifted 2 hours each day to allow residents to find food. The curfew was in response to the murder of two teachers on 21 July near Jenin and the killing of an Israeli para-military on 30 July. Najah University was closed for 2 months after posters with pictures of PLO leader were found. In January 1986, the Israeli administration ended with

524-539: A broader attempt to established centralized rule throughout the empire at that time. In return for their services, the officers were granted agricultural lands around the villages of Jabal Nablus. The Ottomans, fearing that the new Arab land holders would establish independent bases of power, dispersed the land plots to separate and distant locations within Jabal Nablus to avoid creating contiguous territory controlled by individual clans. Contrary to its centralization purpose,

655-520: A church dedicated to Mary on Mount Gerizim. He also forbade the Samaritans to travel to the mountain to celebrate their religious ceremonies, and expropriated their synagogue there. These actions by the emperor fueled Samaritan anger towards the Christians further. Thus, the Samaritans rebelled again under the rule of emperor Anastasius I , reoccupying Mount Gerizim, which was subsequently reconquered by

786-538: A further increase to 19,200. The 1945 village statistics list the population as 23,250 (22,360 Muslims, 680 Christians, and 120 "other"). According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), Nablus had a population of 126,132 in 2007. In the PCBS's 1997 census, the city had a population of 100,034, including 23,397 refugees , accounting for about 24% of the city's residents. Nablus' Old City had

917-629: A grand theater in Neapolis that could seat up to 7,000 people. Coins found in Nablus dating to this period depict Roman military emblems and gods and goddesses of the Greek pantheon such as Zeus , Artemis , Serapis , and Asklepios . Neapolis was entirely pagan at this time. Justin Martyr who was born in the city c. 100 CE, came into contact with Platonism , but not with Christians there. The city flourished until

1048-456: A large marketplace, a finely paved Great Mosque , houses built of stone, a stream running through the center of the city, and notable mills. He also noted that it was nicknamed "Little Damascus ." At the time, the linen produced in Nablus was well known throughout the Old World . The city was captured by Crusaders in 1099, under the command of Prince Tancred , and renamed Naples . Though

1179-466: A population of 12,000 in 2006. The population of Nablus city comprises 40% of its governorate 's inhabitants. Approximately half of population is under 20 years old. In 1997, the age distribution of the city's inhabitants was 28.4% under the age of 10, 20.8% from 10 to 19, 17.7% from 20–29, 18% from 30 to 44, 11.1% from 45 to 64 and 3.7% above the age of 65. The gender distribution was 50,945 males (50.92%) and 49,089 females (49.07%). In 891 CE, during

1310-428: A population of 145 Muslims, increasing in the 1931 census to 225, still all Muslim, in 52 houses. In the 1945 statistics the population had increased to 300 Muslims, while the total land area was 15,815 dunams , according to an official land and population survey. Of this, 457 dunams were allocated for plantations and irrigable land, 6,838 for cereals, while 24 dunams were classified as built-up (urban) areas. In

1441-454: A result of " enclave law ", large portions of Israeli civil law are applied to Israeli settlements and Israeli residents in the occupied territories. On 31 August 2014, Israel announced it was appropriating 400 hectares of land in the West Bank to eventually house 1,000 Israel families. The appropriation was described as the largest in more than 30 years. According to reports on Israel Radio,

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1572-399: A source of tension and conflict. Settlements are often protected by the Israeli military and are frequently flashpoints for violence against Palestinians. Furthermore, the presence of settlements and Jewish-only bypass roads creates a fragmented Palestinian territory , seriously hindering economic development and freedom of movement for Palestinians . Currently, Israeli settlements exist in

1703-569: A strategic position at a junction between two ancient commercial roads; one linking the Sharon coastal plain to the Jordan valley , the other linking Nablus to the Galilee in the north, and the biblical Judea to the south through the mountains. The city stands at an elevation of around 550 meters (1,800 ft) above sea level , in a narrow valley running roughly east–west between two mountains: Mount Ebal ,

1834-401: A village in the nahiya of Jabal Qubal in the liwa of Nablus . It had a population of 20 households, all Muslim . They paid a fixed tax rate of 33.3% on agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops, olive trees, goats and beehives; a total of 22,070 akçe . All of the revenues went to a waqf . Potsherds from the early Ottoman era have also been found here. In 1838 Jalud

1965-743: Is "pipelined" into the settlements , such that Israeli citizens living there are treated similarly to those living in Israel. Many consider it to be a major obstacle to the Israeli–Palestinian peace process . In Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (2004), the ICJ found that Israel's settlements and the then-nascent Israeli West Bank barrier were both in violation of international law; part of

2096-523: Is a Palestinian city in the West Bank , located approximately 49 kilometres (30 mi) north of Jerusalem , with a population of 156,906. Located between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim , it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a commercial and cultural centre of the State of Palestine , home to An-Najah National University , one of the largest Palestinian institutions of higher learning, and

2227-537: Is also hosting at least 196 Israeli outposts , which are settlements that have not been authorized by the Israeli government. In total, over 450,000 Israeli settlers reside in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, with an additional 220,000 Israeli settlers residing in East Jerusalem. Additionally, over 25,000 Israeli settlers live in Syria's Golan Heights. Between 1967 and 1982, there were 18 settlements established in

2358-815: Is densely populated and prominent families include the Nimrs, Tuqans, and Abd al-Hadis. The large fortress-like compound of the Abd al-Hadi Palace built in the 19th century is located in Qaryun. The Nimr Hall and the Tuqan Palace are located in the center of the old city. There are several mosques in the Old City: the Great Mosque of Nablus , An-Nasr Mosque, al-Tina Mosque, al-Khadra Mosque , Hanbali Mosque , al-Anbia Mosque, Ajaj Mosque and others. There are six hamaams ( Turkish baths ) in

2489-553: Is mentioned as "Galuda of Aqraba " in a Jewish marriage certificate of "Elijah, son of Simeon", which was discovered in a cave at Wadi Murabba'at and is dated to 123 CE. There's a possibility that merchants from this village had a court in Lod . Clermont-Ganneau noted several rock-hewn tombs SSW of the village. One he excavated had three arcosolia , and a fully working stone door. In 1596, Jalud appeared in Ottoman tax registers as being

2620-467: Is three times the Israeli national average. Most of the spending goes to the security of the Israeli citizens living there. As of January 2023, there are 144 Israeli settlements in the West Bank , including 12 in East Jerusalem . In addition, there are at least 196 Israeli illegal outposts (not sanctioned by the Israeli government) in the West Bank. In total, over 500,000 Israeli settlers live in

2751-408: The 1922 British census of Palestine , there were a total of 15,947 inhabitants (15,238 Muslims, 544 Christians, 147 Samaritans, 16 Jews, and two Druze). Population continued to grow, rising to 17,189 (16,483 Muslims, 533 Christians, 160 Samaritans, seven Druze, and six Jews) at the 1931 census of Palestine with 309 in nearby suburbs (225 Muslims and 84 Christians). The 1938 village statistics show

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2882-566: The Ayyubids led by Saladin captured the city. According to a liturgical manuscript in Syriac , Latin Christians fled Nablus, but the original Eastern Orthodox Christian inhabitants remained. Syrian geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi (1179–1229), wrote that Ayyubid Nablus was a "celebrated city in Filastin (Palestine)... having wide lands and a fine district." He also mentions the large Samaritan population in

3013-678: The Battle of Sharon during the set piece Battle of Megiddo . Fighting took place in the Judean Hills where the British Empire 's XX Corps and Royal Flying Corps attacked the Ottoman Empire 's Yildirim Army Group 's Seventh Army which held a defensive position in front of Nablus, and which the Eighth Army had attempted to retreat to, in vain. The 1927 Jericho earthquake destroyed many of

3144-685: The Hejaz , several Mediterranean islands, and the Arabian Desert . The city's olive oil was also used in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. Ibn Battuta , the Arab explorer, visited Nablus in 1355, and described it as a city "full of trees and streams and full of olives." He noted that the city grew and exported carob jam to Cairo and Damascus. Nablus came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire in 1517, along with

3275-460: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) found that Israel's occupation was illegal and ruled that Israel had "an obligation to cease immediately all new settlement activities and to evacuate all settlers" from the occupied territories. The expansion of settlements often involves the confiscation of Palestinian land and resources, leading to displacement of Palestinian communities and creating

3406-527: The Israeli occupation of Nablus. Many Israeli settlements were built around Nablus during the 1980s and early 1990s. The restrictions placed on Nablus during the First Intifada were met by a back-to-the-land movement to secure self-sufficiency, and had a notable outcome in boosting local agricultural production. In 1976, Bassam Shakaa was elected mayor. On 2 June 1980, he survived an assassination attempt by

3537-719: The Israeli-occupied Sinai Peninsula of Egypt , though these were dismantled by Israel after the Egypt–Israel peace treaty of 1979. Additionally, as part of the Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip in 2005, Israel dismantled all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and four settlements in the West Bank. Per the Fourth Geneva Convention , the transfer by an occupying power of its civilian population into

3668-513: The Jewish Underground , considered a terrorist group by Israel, which resulted in Shakaa losing both his legs. In the spring of 1982, the Israeli administration removed him from office and installed an army officer who ran the city for the following three and a half years. On 29 July 1985, the Israeli army imposed a 5-day curfew on the city. At the time this was the longest curfew ever imposed on

3799-694: The Labor government of Levi Eshkol . The basis for Israeli settlement in the West Bank became the Allon Plan , named after its inventor Yigal Allon . It implied Israeli annexation of major parts of the Israeli-occupied territories , especially East Jerusalem , Gush Etzion and the Jordan Valley . The settlement policy of the government of Yitzhak Rabin was also derived from the Allon Plan. The first settlement

3930-580: The Manara Clock Tower , built in 1906. The relatively temperate Mediterranean climate brings hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters to Nablus. Spring arrives around March–April and the hottest months in Nablus are July and August with the average high being 29.6 °C (85.3 °F). The coldest month is January with temperatures usually at 6.2 °C (43.2 °F). Rain generally falls between October and March, with annual precipitation rates being approximately 656 mm (25.8 in). In 1596,

4061-722: The Palestine Stock Exchange . Nablus is under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). The modern name of the city can be traced back to the Roman period , when it was named Flavia Neapolis by Roman emperor Vespasian in 72 CE. During the Byzantine period , conflict between the city's Samaritan and newer Christian inhabitants peaked in the Samaritan revolts that were eventually suppressed by

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4192-598: The Passover massacre —an attack by Palestinian militants that killed 30 Israeli civilians attending a seder dinner at the Park Hotel in Netanya—Israel launched Operation Defensive Shield , a major military operation targeting in particular Nablus and Jenin. At least 80 Palestinians were killed in Nablus during the operation and several houses were destroyed or severely damaged. The operation also resulted in severe damage to

4323-625: The Roman emperor Vespasian and applied to an older Samaritan village, variously called Mabartha ("the passage") or Mamorpha . Located between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim , the new city lay 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) west of the Biblical city of Shechem which was destroyed by the Romans that same year during the First Jewish–Roman War . Holy places at the site of the city's founding include Joseph's Tomb and Jacob's Well . Because of

4454-514: The Tuqans from northern Syria or Transjordan. The Jarrars came to dominate the hinterland of Nablus, while the Tuqans and Nimrs competed for influence in the town. The former held the post of mutasallim (tax collector, strongman) of Nablus longer, though non-consecutively than any other family. The three families maintained their power until the mid-19th century. In the mid-18th century, Zahir al-Umar ,

4585-456: The Umayyad , Abbasid and Fatimid dynasties. Under Muslim rule, Nablus contained a diverse population of Arabs and Persians , Muslims, Samaritans, Christians and Jews . In the 9th century CE, Al-Yaqubi reported that Nablus had a mixed population of Arabs, Ajam (Non-Arabs), and Samaritans. In the 10th century, the Arab geographer al-Muqaddasi , described it as abundant of olive trees, with

4716-871: The West Bank (including East Jerusalem ), which is claimed by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sovereign territory of the State of Palestine , and in the Golan Heights , which is internationally recognized as a part of the sovereign territory of Syria . Through the Jerusalem Law and the Golan Heights Law , Israel effectively annexed both territories, though the international community has rejected any change to their status as occupied territory . Although Israel's West Bank settlements have been built on territory administered under military rule rather than civil law, Israeli civil law

4847-584: The first Trump administration reversed this long-standing policy in November 2019, declaring that "the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not per se inconsistent with international law"; this new policy, in turn, was reversed to the original by the Biden administration in February 2024, once again classifying Israeli settlement expansion as "inconsistent with international law" and matching

4978-543: The 1657 campaign allowed the Arab sipahi officers to establish their own increasingly autonomous foothold in Nablus. The officers raised their families there and intermarried with the local notables of the area, namely the ulama and merchant families. Without abandoning their nominal military service, they acquired diverse properties to consolidate their presence and income such as soap and pottery factories, bathhouses , agricultural lands, grain mills and, olive and sesame oil presses. The most influential military family were

5109-556: The 16th century, the population was predominantly Muslim, with Jewish, Samaritan and Christian minorities. After decades of upheavals and rebellions mounted by Arab tribes in the Middle East, the Ottomans attempted to reassert centralized control over the Arab vilayets . In 1657, they sent an expeditionary force led mostly by Arab sipahi officers from central Syria to reassert Ottoman authority in Nablus and its hinterland, as part of

5240-445: The 1990s, the annual settler population growth was more than three times the annual population growth in Israel. Population growth has continued in the 2000s. According to the BBC, the settlements in the West Bank have been growing at a rate of 5–6% since 2001. In 2016, there were sixty thousand American Israelis living in settlements in the West Bank. The establishment of settlements in

5371-467: The 60% of the West Bank that was not under Palestinian administrative control and the population growth of settlers did not diminish. In 2005, all 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in the northern West Bank were forcibly evacuated as part of Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip , known to some in Israel as "the Expulsion". Nevertheless, the total settler population continued to rise. After

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5502-467: The Byzantine governor of Edessa , Procopius. A third Samaritan revolt which took place under the leadership of Julianus ben Sabar in 529 was perhaps the most violent. Neapolis' bishop Ammonas was murdered and the city's priests were hacked into pieces and then burned together with the relics of saints . The forces of Emperor Justinian I were sent in to quell the revolt, which ended with the slaughter of

5633-824: The Byzantines by 573, which greatly dwindled the Samaritan population of the city. Following the Muslim conquest of the Levant in the 7th century, the city was given its present-day Arabic name of Nablus . After the First Crusade , the Crusaders drafted the laws of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the Council of Nablus , and its Christian, Samaritan, and Muslim inhabitants prospered. The city then came under

5764-419: The Christians intended to transfer the remains of Aaron 's sons and grandsons Eleazar , Ithamar and Phinehas . Samaritans reacted by entering the cathedral of Neapolis, killing the Christians inside and severing the fingers of the bishop Terebinthus. Terebinthus then fled to Constantinople , requesting an army garrison to prevent further attacks. As a result of the revolt, the Byzantine emperor Zeno erected

5895-521: The Civil Administration over the years covertly allotted 10% of the West Bank for further settlement. Provisional names for future new settlements or settlement expansions were already assigned. The plan includes many Palestinian built-up sites in the Areas A and B . Land in the Gaza Strip available to its Palestinian inhabitants has historically been limited as a result of Israeli land confiscation and

6026-480: The Crusaders extorted many supplies from the population for their troops who were en route to Jerusalem, they did not sack the city, presumably because of the large Christian population there. Nablus became part of the royal domain of the Kingdom of Jerusalem . The Muslim, Eastern Orthodox Christian, and Samaritan populations remained in the city and were joined by some Crusaders who settled therein to take advantage of

6157-429: The Development of Settlements in Judea and Samaria, 1979–1983", was written by the Jewish Agency director and former Knesset member Matityahu Drobles . In January 1981, the government adopted a follow-up plan from Drobles, dated September 1980 and named "The current state of the settlements in Judea and Samaria", with more details about settlement strategy and policy. Since 1967, government-funded settlement projects in

6288-404: The Gaza Strip and the West Bank" . It wanted to keep settlements beyond the Green Line including Ma'ale Adumim and Givat Ze'ev in East Jerusalem. Blocs of settlements should be established in the West Bank. Rabin promised not to return to the 4 June 1967 lines. In June 1997, the Likud government of Benjamin Netanyahu presented its "Allon Plus Plan". This plan holds the retention of some 60% of

6419-566: The Gazan economy via land confiscation, the disproportionate consumption of local resources such as water, by overwhelmingly denying work opportunities and through the large disparities in funding (both private and governmental) for economic development. Some settlements are self-contained cities with a stable population in the tens of thousands, infrastructure, and all other features of permanence. Examples are Beitar Illit (a city of close to 45,000 residents), Ma'ale Adumim , Modi'in Illit , and Ariel (almost 20,000 residents). Some are towns with

6550-684: The Golan Heights had risen to 25,261. In 2020, the number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank excluding East Jerusalem had reportedly risen to 451,700 individuals, with an additional 220,000 Jews living in East Jerusalem. Based on various sources, population dispersal can be estimated as follows: -4,400 In addition to internal migration, in large though declining numbers, the settlements absorb annually about 1000 new immigrants from outside Israel. The American Kulanu organization works with such right-wing Israeli settler groups as Amishav and Shavei Israel to settle "lost" Jews of color in such areas where local Palestinians are being displaced. In

6681-420: The Israeli Interior Ministry gave figures of 389,250 Israeli citizens living in the West Bank outside East Jerusalem. By the end of 2016, the West Bank Jewish population had risen to 420,899, excluding East Jerusalem, where there were more than 200,000 Jews. In 2019, the number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank excluding East Jerusalem had risen to 441,600 individuals, and the number of Israeli settlers in

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6812-418: The Israeli government for the establishment of settlements. By 1991, the settler population in Gaza would reach 3,500 and 4,000 by 1993, or less than 1% of Gaza's population. The land available for use by the Jewish settler community exceeded 25% of the total land in Gaza. The ratio of dunams to people was 23 for Jewish settlers, and 0.27 for Palestinians. Comparing the available built-up area available to each of

6943-422: The Israeli policy of establishing " facts on the ground ". Political economist Sara Roy described this as a policy intended to make the establishment of an independent Palestinian state more difficult. The locations and size of these new settlements would contribute to geographically isolating Palestinian communities from each other. In the seven years between 1978 and 1985, 11,500 acres of land were confiscated by

7074-646: The Israeli settlements cover only 1 percent of the West Bank, but their jurisdiction and their regional councils extend to about 42 percent of the West Bank, according to the Israeli NGO B'Tselem . Yesha Council chairman Dani Dayan disputes the figures and claims that the settlements only control 9.2 percent of the West Bank. Between 2001 and 2007 more than 10,000 Israeli settlement units were built, while 91 permits were issued for Palestinian construction, and 1,663 Palestinian structures were demolished in Area C. West Bank Palestinians have their cases tried in Israel's military courts while Jewish Israeli settlers living in

7205-419: The Ma'ale Adumim settlement, killing one and wounding five, and drew criticism from the US due to increasing tensions. During the Israel-Hamas war, the lines between settlers and the military were described as having become "indistinguishable". East Jerusalem is defined in the Jerusalem Law of 1980 as part of Israel and its capital, Jerusalem . As such it is administered as part of the city and its district,

7336-401: The Mamluks. The Templars raided Nablus in revenge for a previous massacre of Christians by their erstwhile ally An-Nasir Dawud. The attack is reported as a particularly bloody affair lasting for three days, during which the Mosque was burned and many residents of the city, Christians alongside Muslims, were killed or sold in the slave markets of Acre . The successful raid was widely publicized by

7467-451: The Nablus' historic buildings, including the An-Nasr Mosque. Though they were subsequently rebuilt by Haj Amin al-Husayni 's Supreme Muslim Council in the mid-1930s, their previous "picturesque" character was lost. During the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine , the British authorities demolished buildings in the Old City quarter of Qaryun suspected of harboring insurgents or hiding weapons. Jewish immigration did not significantly impact

7598-408: The Nimrs, who were originally local governors of Homs and Hama 's rural subdistricts. Other officer families included the Akhrami, Asqalan, Bayram, Jawhari, Khammash, Mir'i, Shafi, Sultan and Tamimi families, some of which remained in active service, while some left service for other pursuits. In the years following the 1657 campaign, two other families migrated to Nablus: the Jarrars from Balqa and

7729-412: The Old City of Nablus became a site of fierce clashes between a militant group vs Palestinian police. On 18 August, two Palestinian Police servicemen were killed in the city. Shortly after the raid of police on the suspected areas in the Old City deteriorated into a gun battle, in which three armed militia men were killed, including one killed by beating following his arrest. The person beaten to death

7860-428: The Old City, the most prominent of them being al-Shifa and al-Hana. Al-Shifa was built by the Tuqans in 1624. Al-Hana in Yasmina was the last hamaam built in the city in the 19th century. It was closed in 1928 but restored and reopened in 1994. Several leather tanneries, souks , pottery and textile workshops line the Old City streets. Also located in the Old City is the 15th-century Khan al-Tujjar caravanserai and

7991-528: The Ottomans. A policy of conscription and new taxation was instituted which led to a revolt organized by the a'ayan (notables) of Nablus, Hebron and the Jerusalem-Jaffa area. In May 1834, Qasim al-Ahmad —the chief of the Jamma'in nahiya —rallied the rural sheikhs and fellahin (peasants) of Jabal Nablus and launched a revolt against Governor Ibrahim Pasha , in protest at conscription orders, among other new policies. The leaders of Nablus and its hinterland sent thousands of rebels to attack Jerusalem,

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8122-442: The PLO, and by a number of third parties, such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation , the United Nations (UN), Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and the European Union . The UN has repeatedly upheld the view that Israel's construction of settlements in the occupied territories constitutes a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. For decades, the United States also designated Israeli settlements as illegal, but

8253-417: The Palestinian territories is linked to the displacement of the Palestinian populations as evidenced by a 1979 Security Council Commission which established a link between Israeli settlements and the displacement of the local population. The commission also found that those who remained were under consistent pressure to leave to make room for further settlers who were being encouraged into the area. In conclusion

8384-643: The Templars in Europe; it is thought to be depicted in a late 13th-century fresco in the Templar church of San Bevignate , Perugia . In 1244, the Samaritan synagogue, built in 362 by the high priest Akbon and converted into a church by the Crusaders, was converted into al-Khadra Mosque . Two other Crusader churches became the An-Nasr Mosque and al-Masakim Mosque during that century. The Mamluk dynasty gained control of Nablus in 1260 and during their reign, they built numerous mosques and schools. Under Mamluk rule, Nablus possessed running water, many Turkish baths and exported olive oil and soap to Egypt , Syria,

8515-408: The West Bank and when the Second Intifada began, arsonists of Jewish shrines in Nablus were applauded. After the controversy over the Muhammad cartoons in Jyllands-Posten , originally published in Denmark in late September 2006, militias kidnapped two foreigners and threatened to kidnap more as a protest. In 2008, Noa Meir, an Israeli military spokeswoman, said Nablus remains "capital of terror" of

8646-425: The West Bank are implemented by the "Settlement Division" of the World Zionist Organization . Though formally a non-governmental organization , it is funded by the Israeli government and leases lands from the Civil Administration to settle in the West Bank. It is authorized to create settlements in the West Bank on lands licensed to it by the Civil Administration. Traditionally, the Settlement Division has been under

8777-430: The West Bank excluding East Jerusalem, with an additional 220,000 Jewish settlers residing in East Jerusalem. Additionally, over 20,000 Israeli citizens live in settlements in the Golan Heights. Following the 1967 Six-Day War , Israel occupied a number of territories. It took over the remainder of the Palestinian Mandate territories of the West Bank including East Jerusalem , from Jordan which had controlled

8908-434: The West Bank is required. Authority for planning and construction is held by the Israel Defense Forces Civil Administration . The area consists of four cities , thirteen local councils and six regional councils . The Yesha Council ( Hebrew : מועצת יש"ע , Moatzat Yesha , a Hebrew acronym for Judea , Samaria and Gaza ) is the umbrella organization of municipal councils in the West Bank. The actual buildings of

9039-430: The West Bank, 198,629 were living in East Jerusalem, and almost 20,000 lived in settlements in the Golan Heights. By 2011, the number of Jewish settlers in the West Bank excluding East Jerusalem had increased to 328,423 people. In June 2014, the number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank excluding East Jerusalem had increased to 382,031 people, with over 20,000 Israeli settlers in the Golan Heights. In January 2015,

9170-767: The West Bank, including the "Greater Jerusalem" area with the settlements Gush Etzion and Ma'aleh Adumim, other large concentrations of settlements in the West Bank, the entire Jordan Valley, a "security area", and a network of Israeli-only bypass roads. In the Road map for peace of 2002, which was never implemented, the establishment of a Palestinian state was acknowledged. Outposts would be dismantled. However, many new outposts appeared instead, few were removed. Israel's settlement policy remained unchanged. Settlements in East Jerusalem and remaining West Bank were expanded. While according to official Israeli policy no new settlements were built, at least some hundred unauthorized outposts were established since 2002 with state funding in

9301-415: The West Bank. From the start of the Second Intifada , which began in September 2000, Nablus became a flash-point of clashes between the IDF and Palestinians. The city has a tradition of political activism, as evinced by its nickname, jabal al-nar (Fire Mountain) and, located between two mountains, was closed off at both ends of the valley by Israeli checkpoints. For several years, movements in and out of

9432-575: The al-Satoon Mosque and the Greek Orthodox Church in 2002. Some 60 houses were destroyed, and parts of the stone-paving in the old city were damaged. The al-Shifa hammam was hit by three rockets from Apache helicopters . The eastern entrance of the Khan al-Wikala (old market) and three soap factories were destroyed in F-16 bombings. The cost of the damage was estimated at $ 80 million US. In August 2016,

9563-587: The appointment of Zafer al-Masri as mayor. A popular leader of the Nablus Chamber of Commerce al-Masri began a program of improvements in the town. Despite maintaining that he would have nothing to do with Israeli autonomy plans he was assassinated on 2 March 1986. The assassination was widely believed to be the work of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine . On 18 June 1989 Salah el Bah'sh, aged 17,

9694-568: The autonomous Arab ruler of the Galilee became a dominant figure in Palestine. To build up his army, he strove to gain a monopoly over the cotton and olive oil trade of the southern Levant , including Jabal Nablus, which was a major producer of both crops. In 1771, during the Egyptian Mamluk invasion of Syria, Zahir aligned himself with the Mamluks and besieged Nablus, but did not succeed in taking

9825-462: The center of government authority in Palestine, aided by the Abu Ghosh clan, and they conquered the city on 31 May. However, they were later defeated by Ibrahim Pasha's forces the next month. Ibrahim then forced the heads of the Jabal Nablus clans to leave for nearby villages. By the end of August, the countrywide revolt had been suppressed and Qasim was executed. Egyptian rule in Palestine resulted in

9956-612: The city was handed over to the Palestinian National Authority on 12 December 1995, as a result of the Oslo Accords Interim Agreement on the West Bank . Nablus is surrounded by Israeli settlements and was site of regular clashes with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the First Intifada when the local prison was known for torture. In the 1990s, Nablus was a hub of Palestinian nationalist activity in

10087-728: The city were highly restricted. Nablus produced more suicide bombers than any other city during the Second Intifada. The city and the refugee camps of Balata and Askar constituted the center of "knowhow" for the production and operation of the rockets in the West Bank. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs , 522 residents of Nablus and surrounding refugee camps, including civilians, were killed and 3,104 injured during IDF military operations from 2000 to 2005. In April 2002, following

10218-507: The city's abundant resources. In 1120, the Crusaders convened the Council of Nablus out of which was issued the first written laws for the kingdom. They converted the Samaritan synagogue in Nablus into a church. The Samaritan community built a new synagogue in the 1130s. In 1137, Arab and Turkish troops stationed in Damascus raided Nablus, killing many Christians and burning down the city's churches. However, they were unsuccessful in retaking

10349-438: The city's strategic geographic position and the abundance of water from nearby springs, Neapolis prospered, accumulating extensive territory, including the former Judean toparchy of Acraba . Insofar as the hilly topography of the site would allow, the city was built on a Roman grid plan and settled with veterans who fought in the victorious legions and other foreign colonists. In the 2nd century CE, Emperor Hadrian built

10480-685: The city. After its recapture by the Muslims, the Great Mosque of Nablus , which had become a church under Crusader rule, was restored as a mosque by the Ayyubids, who also built a mausoleum in the old city. In October 1242, Nablus was raided by the Knights Templar . This was the conclusion of the 1242 campaign season in which the Templars had joined forces with the Ayyubid emir of Kerak, An-Nasir Dawud , against

10611-504: The city. Queen Melisende of Jerusalem resided in Nablus from 1150 to 1161, after she was granted control over the city in order to resolve a dispute with her son Baldwin III . Crusaders began building Christian institutions in Nablus, including a church dedicated to the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus , and in 1170 they erected a hospice for pilgrims. Crusader rule came to an end in 1187, when

10742-468: The city. In 1773, he tried again without success. Nevertheless, from a political perspective, the sieges led to a decline in the importance of the city in favor of Acre. Zahir's successor, Jezzar Pasha , maintained Acre's dominance over Nablus. After his reign ended in 1804, Nablus regained its autonomy, and the Tuqans, who represented a principal opposing force, rose to power. In 1831–32 Khedivate Egypt , then led by Muhammad Ali , conquered Palestine from

10873-529: The city. Its population doubled, and the influx of refugees put a heavy strain on the city's resources. Three such camps still located within the city limits today are Ein Beit al-Ma' , Balata and Askar . During the Jordanian period, the adjacent villages of Rafidia , Balata al-Balad , al-Juneid and Askar were annexed to the Nablus municipality. Nablus was annexed by Jordan in 1950. The 1967 Six-Day War ended in

11004-470: The civil war between Septimius Severus and Pescennius Niger in 198–9 CE. Having sided with Niger, who was defeated, the city was temporarily stripped of its legal privileges by Severus, who designated these to Sebastia instead. In 244 CE, Philip the Arab transformed Flavius Neapolis into a Roman colony named Julia Neapolis . It retained this status until the rule of Trebonianus Gallus in 251 CE. The Encyclopaedia Judaica speculates that Christianity

11135-486: The civilian communities built by Israel throughout the Israeli-occupied territories . They are populated by Israeli citizens, almost exclusively of Jewish identity or ethnicity , and have been constructed on lands that Israel has militarily occupied since the Six-Day War in 1967. The international community considers Israeli settlements to be illegal under international law , but Israel disputes this. In 2024,

11266-404: The coastal cities of Jaffa and Acre. Olive oil was the primary product of Nablus and aided other related industries such as soap-making and basket weaving. It was also the largest producer of cotton in the Levant, topping the production of northern cities such as Damascus. Jabal Nablus enjoyed a greater degree of autonomy than other sanjaqs under Ottoman control, probably because the city

11397-536: The commission stated that settlement in the Palestinian territories was causing "profound and irreversible changes of a geographic and demographic nature". The Israeli settlements in the West Bank fall under the administrative district of Judea and Samaria Area . Since December 2007, approval by both the Israeli Prime Minister and Israeli Defense Minister of all settlement activities (including planning) in

11528-530: The control of the Ayyubids and the Mamluk Sultanate . Under the Ottoman Turks , who conquered the city in 1517 , Nablus served as the administrative and commercial centre for the surrounding area corresponding to the modern-day northern West Bank. After the city was captured by British forces during World War I , Nablus was incorporated into Mandatory Palestine in 1922. The 1948 Arab–Israeli War saw

11659-473: The demographic composition of Nablus, and it was slated for inclusion in the Arab state envisioned by the United Nations General Assembly 's 1947 partition plan for Palestine . During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War , Nablus came under Jordanian control. Thousands of Palestinian refugees fleeing from areas captured by Israeli forces arrived in Nablus, settling in refugee camps in and around

11790-643: The destruction of Acre and thus, the political importance of Nablus was further elevated. The Ottomans wrested back control of Palestine from Egypt in 1840–41. However, the Arraba -based Abd al-Hadi clan which rose to prominence under Egyptian rule for supporting Ibrahim Pasha, continued its political dominance in Jabal Nablus. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Nablus was the principal trade and manufacturing center in Ottoman Syria. Its economic activity and regional leadership position surpassed that of Jerusalem and

11921-512: The development is a response to the 2014 kidnapping and murder of Israeli teenagers . In March 2024 and during the Israel-Hamas war , it was announced that Israel was planning on building more than 3,300 new homes in the Kedar and Ma'ale Adumim settlement in the West Bank. The settlement expansion was announced by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich after three Palestinians opened fire near

12052-522: The direct control of (his own) PMO, and to curtail Defense Minister Ehud Barak's authority. At the presentation of the Oslo II Accord on 5 October 1995 in the Knesset, PM Yitzhak Rabin expounded the Israeli settlement policy in connection with the permanent solution to the conflict. Israel wanted "a Palestinian entity, less than a state, which will be a home to most of the Palestinian residents living in

12183-575: The early centuries of Islamic rule, Nablus had a religiously diverse population of Samaritans, Muslims and Christians. Arab geographer Al-Dimashqi , recorded that under the rule of the Mamluk Dynasty (Muslim Dynasty based in Egypt), local Muslims, Samaritans, Orthodox Christians, Catholics and Jews populated the city. At the 1931 census , the population was counted as 16,483 Muslims, 533 Christians, 6 Jews, 7 Druses and 160 Samaritans. However, this census

12314-462: The entire West Bank, including Nablus, occupied and annexed by Transjordan . Since the 1967 Arab–Israeli War , the West Bank has been occupied by Israel ; since 1995, it has been governed by the PNA as part of Area A of the West Bank . Today, the population is predominantly Muslim, with small Christian and Samaritan minorities. Flavia Neapolis ("new city of the emperor Flavius ") was named in 72 CE by

12445-530: The establishment of settlements. Settlement growth in the Gaza Strip before 1977 was limited, as the Israeli labor party's policy of containment preferred the establishment of a collection of settlements along the border of the Strip. At this point, 6 settlements in the Strip existed, Kfar Darom, Netzarim, Morag, Eretz, Katif, and Netzer Hazani. With the Likud party's revisionist Zionist policies entering with Begin's government,

12576-627: The failure of the Roadmap, several new plans emerged to settle in major parts of the West Bank. In 2011, Haaretz revealed the Civil Administration's "Blue Line" -plan, written in January 2011, which aims to increase Israeli "state-ownership" of West Bank land ("state lands") and settlement in strategic areas like the Jordan Valley and the northern Dead Sea area. In March 2012, it was revealed that

12707-568: The historian Fayyad Altif, large numbers of Samaritans converted because of persecution and because the monotheistic nature of Islam made it easy for them to accept it. In 1967, there were about 3,500 Christians of various denominations in Nablus, but that figure dwindled to about 650 in 2008. Of the Christian populace, there are seventy Orthodox Christian families, about thirty Catholic (Roman Catholic and Eastern Melkite Catholic) families and thirty Anglican families. Most Christians used to live in

12838-502: The historic core of the city, with 64 heritage buildings being heavily damaged or destroyed. IDF forces reentered Nablus during Operation Determined Path in June 2002, remaining inside the city until the end of September. Over those three months, there had been more than 70 days of full 24-hour curfews. According to Gush Shalom , IDF bulldozers damaged the al-Khadra Mosque, the Great Mosque,

12969-544: The land." In April 2022, Haaretz reported that Jewish settlers from the nearby illegal outposts that encircle the town promoted attacks with firebombs in Jalud, torching cars and house yards, in what the Israeli newspaper classified as a " pogrom ", "flaunt evil" and " settler terror". Nablus Nablus ( / ˈ n æ b l ə s , ˈ n ɑː b l ə s / NA(H)B -ləs ; Arabic : نابلس , romanized :  Nābulus [ˈnæːblʊs, -lɪs] )

13100-500: The latter has been constructed within the West Bank, as opposed to being entirely on Israel's side of the Green Line . As of January 2023, there are 144 Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including 12 in East Jerusalem ; the Israeli government administers the West Bank as the Judea and Samaria Area , which does not include East Jerusalem. In addition to the settlements, the West Bank

13231-471: The majority of the Samaritan population in the city. Neapolis, along with most of Palestine, was conquered by the Muslims under Khalid ibn al-Walid , a general of the Rashidun army of Umar ibn al-Khattab , in 636 after the Battle of Yarmouk . The city's name was retained in its Arabicized form, Nabulus . The town prevailed as an important trade center during the centuries of Islamic Arab rule under

13362-421: The northern mountain, is the taller peak at 940 meters (3,080 ft), while Mount Gerizim , the southern mountain, is 881 meters (2,890 ft) high. Nablus is located 42 kilometers (26 mi) east of Tel Aviv , Israel , 110 kilometers (68 mi) west of Amman , Jordan and 63 kilometers (39 mi) north of Jerusalem. Nearby cities and towns include Huwara and Aqraba to the south, Beit Furik to

13493-587: The official positions of the other three members of the Middle East Quartet . Certain observers and Palestinians occasionally use the term "Israeli colonies" as a substitute for the term "settlements". Settlements range in character from farming communities and frontier villages to urban suburbs and neighborhoods. The four largest settlements, Modi'in Illit , Ma'ale Adumim , Beitar Illit and Ariel , have achieved city status. Ariel has 18,000 residents, while

13624-557: The outskirts of Arab neighborhoods, for example in Hebron . In Jerusalem, there are urban neighborhoods where Jews and Arabs live together: the Muslim Quarter , Silwan , Abu Tor , Sheikh Jarrah and Shimon HaTzadik . Under the Oslo Accords , the West Bank was divided into three separate parts designated as Area A, Area B and Area C . Leaving aside the position of East Jerusalem, all of

13755-408: The political configuration of the region on the local level such that the borders of the nahiya were drawn to coincide with the historic strongholds of certain families. Nablus was only one among a number of local centers of power within Jabal Nablus, and its relations with the surrounding villages, such as Beita and Aqraba , were partially mediated by the rural-based chiefs of the nahiya . During

13886-399: The population consisted of 806 Muslim households, 20 Samaritan households, 18 Christian households, and 15 Jewish households. Local Ottoman authorities recorded a population of around 20,000 residents in Nablus in 1849. In 1867 American visitors found the town to have a population of 4,000 'the chief part of whom are Mohammedans', with some Jews and Christians and 'about 150 Samaritans'. In

14017-553: The project as being strictly for military use while in reality, Kiryat Arba was planned for settler use. The method of confiscating land by military order for establishing civilian settlements was an open secret in Israel throughout the 1970s, but publication of the information was suppressed by the military censor . In the 1970s, Israel's methods for seizing Palestinian land to establish settlements included requisitioning for ostensibly military purposes and spraying of land with poison. The Likud government of Menahem Begin, from 1977,

14148-769: The responsibility of the Agriculture Ministry. Since the Oslo Accords, it was always housed within the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). In 2007, it was moved back to the Agriculture Ministry. In 2009, the Netanyahu Government decided to subject all settlement activities to additional approval of the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister. In 2011, Netanyahu sought to move the Settlement Division again under

14279-502: The rest have around 37,000 to 55,500 each. Settlement has an economic dimension, much of it driven by the significantly lower costs of housing for Israeli citizens living in Israeli settlements compared to the cost of housing and living in Israel proper. Government spending per citizen in the settlements is double that spent per Israeli citizen in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem , while government spending for settlers in isolated Israeli settlements

14410-521: The same occupied territory are tried in civil courts. The arrangement has been described as "de facto segregation" by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. A bill to formally extend Israeli law to the Israeli settlements in the West Bank was rejected in 2012. The basic military laws governing the West Bank are influenced by what is called the "pipelining" of Israeli legislation. As

14541-527: The same year (1977) that there was a plan to settle 2 million Jews in the West Bank by 2000. The government abrogated the prohibition from purchasing occupied land by Israelis; the "Drobles Plan", a plan for large-scale settlement in the West Bank meant to prevent a Palestinian state under the pretext of security became the framework for its policy. The "Drobles Plan" from the World Zionist Organization , dated October 1978 and named "Master Plan for

14672-453: The scale of settlement expansion increased, although the basic policies relating to the settlements did not change. By 1978, 13 settlements had been built as part of a buffer zone along Gaza's southern border in Rafah. The discussions at Camp David that year surrounding the idea of potential future Palestinian autonomy would trigger an increase in settlement expansion in the Gaza Strip, following

14803-604: The settlements are in Area C which comprises about 60% of the West Bank. Some settlements were established on sites where Jewish communities had existed during the British Mandate of Palestine or even since the First Aliyah or ancient times. At the end of 2010, 534,224 Jewish Israelis lived in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. 314,132 of them lived in the 121 authorised settlements and 102 unauthorised settlement outposts on

14934-399: The southeast, Tammun to the northeast, Asira ash-Shamaliya to the north and Kafr Qaddum and Tell to the west. In the center of Nablus lies the old city, composed of six major quarters: Yasmina, Gharb, Qaryun, Aqaba, Qaysariyya, and Habala. Habala is the largest quarter and its population growth led to the development of two smaller neighborhoods: al-Arda and Tal al-Kreim. The old city

15065-536: The suburb of Rafidia in the western part of the city. There are seventeen Islamic monuments and eleven mosques in the Old City. Nine of the mosques were established before the 15th century. In addition to Muslim houses of worship, Nablus contains an Orthodox church dedicated to Saint Justin Martyr, built in 1898, and the ancient Samaritan synagogue, which is still in use. Israeli settlement Israeli settlements , also called Israeli colonies , are

15196-519: The territories since the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, and the Gaza Strip from Egypt , which had held Gaza under occupation since 1949 . From Egypt, it also captured the Sinai Peninsula and from Syria it captured most of the Golan Heights , which since 1981 has been administered under the Golan Heights Law . As early as September 1967, Israeli settlement policy was progressively encouraged by

15327-500: The territory it is occupying constitutes a war crime , although Israel disputes that this statute applies to the West Bank. On 20 December 2019, the International Criminal Court announced the opening of an investigation of war crimes in the Palestinian territories . The presence and ongoing expansion of existing settlements by Israel and the construction of outposts is frequently criticized as an obstacle to peace by

15458-509: The two groups in 1993, the ratio is 115 people per square mile for Jewish settlers and over 9,000 people per square mile for Palestinians. Sara Roy estimates the increase in Palestinian population density in Gaza due to Israeli policies alone to be an increase of almost 2,000 people per square mile in 1993. All the settlements were surrounded by electric fences or barbed wire. While the settlements maintained an isolated economic system, they affected

15589-506: The village. The average household size was 5.5 persons. According to Jalud's mayor, the village experiences high unemployment and migration due to land confiscation by Israel and sporadic violence from nearby Israeli settlements, which for 10 years has impeded villagers' access to their groves. In her 2009 publication entitled Tree Flags , legal scholar and ethnographer Irus Braverman describes how Palestinians identify olive groves as "their symbol of their longtime agricultural connection to

15720-479: The wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War , and after the 1949 Armistice Agreements , Jalud came under Jordanian rule. It was annexed by Jordan in 1950. The Jordanian census of 1961 found 290 inhabitants. Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Jalud has been under Israeli occupation . In 2017, Jalud's population was 743 according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS). There were 91 non-residential buildings, 94 houses and five business establishments in

15851-462: The whole of Palestine. The Ottomans divided Palestine into six sanjaqs ("districts"): Safad , Jenin , Jerusalem , Gaza , Ajlun and Nablus , all of which were part of Ottoman Syria . These five sanjaqs were subdistricts of the Vilayet of Damascus . Sanjaq Nablus was further subdivided into five nahiya (subdistricts), in addition to the city itself. The Ottomans did not attempt to restructure

15982-430: Was Kfar Etzion , in the southern West Bank, although that location was outside the Allon Plan. Many settlements began as Nahal settlements . They were established as military outposts and later expanded and populated with civilian inhabitants. According to a secret document dating to 1970, obtained by Haaretz , the settlement of Kiryat Arba was established by confiscating land by military order and falsely representing

16113-538: Was a result of Monophysite Christian attempts to prevent the return of the Patriarch of Jerusalem , Juvenal , to his episcopal see . However, the conflict did not grow into civil strife. As tensions among the Christians of Neapolis decreased, tensions between the Christian community and the Samaritans grew dramatically. In 484, the city became the site of a deadly encounter between the two groups, provoked by rumors that

16244-528: Was about 900 acres in size during the Byzantine period, making it three times larger than it was when it was first established as a Roman colony. Magen estimates that around 20,000 people lived there during this period. Conflict among the Christian population of Neapolis emerged in 451. By this time, Neapolis was within the Palaestina Prima province under the rule of the Byzantine Empire . The tension

16375-470: Was counted as a Muslim village in the subdistrict of el-Beitawi , east of Nablus. In 1870 French explorer Victor Guérin visited the village, which he found to have about 300 inhabitants. In 1882, the PEF 's Survey of Western Palestine , (SWP), described Jalud as "a small village on low ground, with olives to the south". In the 1922 census of Palestine conducted by the British Mandate authorities , Jalud had

16506-428: Was dominant in the 2nd or 3rd century, with some sources positing a later date of 480 CE. It is known for certain that a bishop from Nablus participated in the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE. The presence of Samaritans in the city is attested to in literary and epigraphic evidence dating to the 4th century CE. As yet, there is no evidence attesting to a Jewish presence in ancient Neapolis. Si'on suggested that Neapolis

16637-534: Was more supportive to settlement in other parts of the West Bank, by organizations like Gush Emunim and the Jewish Agency /World Zionist Organization, and intensified the settlement activities. In a government statement, Likud declared that the entire historic Land of Israel is the inalienable heritage of the Jewish people and that no part of the West Bank should be handed over to foreign rule. Ariel Sharon declared in

16768-520: Was shot dead by an Israeli soldier whilst walking through the Nablus Casbah . Witnesses told B'Tselem , the Israeli Human Rights group, that he was shot in the chest at close range after not responding to a soldier shouting "Ta'amod" (Halt!). The army indicated that an investigation was being carried out. B'Tselem understood that the victim was killed by a rubber bullet . Jurisdiction over

16899-573: Was taken after the 1929 Palestine riots which drove the Jews out of many majority-Arab cities. The majority of the inhabitants today are Muslim, but there are small Christian and Samaritan communities as well. Much of the local Palestinian Muslim population of Nablus is believed to be descended from Samaritans who converted to Islam. Certain Nabulsi family names are associated with Samaritan ancestry – Muslimani, Yaish, and Shakshir among others. According to

17030-617: Was the capital of a hilly region, in which there were no "foreigners" who held any military or bureaucratic posts. Thus, Nablus remained outside the direct "supervision" of the Ottoman government, according to historian Beshara Doumani . Between 19 September and 25 September 1918, in the last months of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War the Battle of Nablus took place, together with

17161-581: Was the suspected “mastermind” behind the August 18 shooting - Ahmed Izz Halaweh, a senior member of the armed wing of the Fatah movement the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. His death was branded by the UN and Palestinian factions as a part of “extrajudicial executions.” A widespread manhunt for multiple gunmen was initiated by the police as a result, concluding with the arrest of one suspect Salah al-Kurdi on 25 August. Nablus lies in

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