Japan kick-starts electricity project in Palestine's Nablus

Japan has kick-started a project which funds an electrical network and transformer for the occupied Palestinian city of Nablus.

Takeshi Okubo, Ambassador for the Palestinian Affairs and Representative of Japan to Palestine, visited the Nablus town of Beit Furik to celebrate the installation of the project on Thursday, that began as a result of a grant from Tokyo.

He stressed on Japan’s firm commitment to supporting Palestine’s development, as well as expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people in a speech he made in the town.

Beit Furik was granted $78,649 funded through Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) to provide an ample electricity supply for Beit Furik.

Around 2,400 residents (450 households) are expected to benefit from the safe and improved electrical network according to the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency WAFA.

Last month, Japan’s Press Secretary Takeshi Osuga acknowledged that Israel is continuing its illegal settlement activities despite repetitive demands to freeze the activities.

"Settlement activities are in violation of international law and Japan has repeatedly called upon the Government of Israel to fully freeze settlement activities," he said.

51 years of illegal occupation

Israel has occupied the West Bank illegally since 1967, committing various crimes against Palestinian civilians.

More than 600,000 Israeli Jews live in settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, in constructions considered illegal under international law.

Along with stealing land, occupying Israeli forces and settlers routinely torment Palestinians in various ways.

Earlier this month, the UN published a report which revealed the impoverished conditions in Palestine proves the extent to which Israel's policies of expanding the occupation debilitates Palestinians.

“Over the years, Israel established a complex matrix of controls over the Palestinian economy featuring a permit system, roadblocks, earth mounds, trenches, road checkpoints, road gates and the Separation Barrier”, the report said.

“The Occupied Palestinian Territory has the highest unemployment rate in the world, and women and youth are disproportionately impacted by the joblessness crisis. Construction of illegal Israeli settlements and annexation of Palestinian land accelerated. Gaza continues to slide on a path of de-development as a grave humanitarian crisis deepens,” the report added.

Last month, Israeli settlers vandalised Palestinian property in the village of Einabous, south of Nablus, reports said.

The settlers had slashed tires of a car in the village and painted racist slogans in the area, Ghassan Daghlas a Palestinian Authority official who monitors illegal settlement activity in the occupied West Bank said.