Depopulation in Hebron
Hebron’s old market population has decreased by 80 per cent in a decade.
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| Samah El-Shahat presents the People & Power Middle Eastern season |
The alleys in Hebron’s old market area, once bustling with shoppers and vendors, now keep the company of shadows and maybe the odd echo. Located in the West Bank, it is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East.
But now Hebron reflects the brutality of the Israeli-Arab conflict. In a decade, the population in the market area has decreased by 80 per cent, leaving just 3,500 people. Local residents blame the Israeli occupation for the mass migration.
People & Power visit this so-called ‘ghost town’, and speak to Israeli settlers and the few remaining Palestinian residents about the politically volatile situation.
This episode of People & Power aired from 20 June 2007
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