Ramallah, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory of the West Bank, is a bustling urban centre, but it is ringed by barriers and checkpoints which dominate every aspect of life. Speaking at the UN Forum of Mayors in Geneva, Issa Kassis, the mayor of Ramallah, says that the challenges faced by city leaders are amplified by conflict and occupation.
For Mr. Kassis, housing is not a privilege - it is survival. "We resist," he says "by simply existing on the land. Occupation is not only the tank and the soldier. It doesn't only restrict your movement, but also your thoughts, plans, aspirations and your vision."
Basic services also bear the weight of the occupation. " Our wells are situated in area C of the West Bank, where security is controlled by Israel. This is where the Israeli settlements are and settlers attack these sources of water, threatening the supply which is already the lowest in the world per capita. At the same time, settlers enjoy swimming pools."
To adapt, Ramallah has invested in wastewater treatment and irrigation projects, using recycled water to green the city. "When you see green, you see hope. And when you see hope, you go after hope."
Nurturing resilience
The cost of occupation is measured not only in barriers and shortages, but in lives lost. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA ), nearly 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 2023, more than 200 of them children.
For families, the burden is heavy. "We are a young society," Kassis explains. "Over 65 per cent of the population of Ramallah are under 40. Half are teenagers or children." Their parents, he says, want them to live freely and experience life, but they are afraid of harassment and arbitrary detention.
"There are thousands of prisoners. Every day people detained without court orders and kept in jail for six months, which can be renewed. The idea is to kill our spirit." Nevertheless, he insists, resilience endures: "Look at Gaza. Look at the kids smiling. For me, this is resilience. Those people, they choose life in spite of everything."
As mayor, he believes resilience must be nurtured at the grassroots: through education, green spaces, and instilling pride in the land. "We built it up through years of hard work and education for the children to cherish life, to cherish the beauty of the city, to love the land, to belong to the land. These are things that we do, that is part of our DNA at the municipality."
For Mr. Kassis, housing is not a privilege - it is survival. "We resist," he says "by simply existing on the land. Occupation is not only the tank and the soldier. It doesn't only restrict your movement, but also your thoughts, plans, aspirations and your vision."
Basic services also bear the weight of the occupation. " Our wells are situated in area C of the West Bank, where security is controlled by Israel. This is where the Israeli settlements are and settlers attack these sources of water, threatening the supply which is already the lowest in the world per capita. At the same time, settlers enjoy swimming pools."
To adapt, Ramallah has invested in wastewater treatment and irrigation projects, using recycled water to green the city. "When you see green, you see hope. And when you see hope, you go after hope."
Nurturing resilience
The cost of occupation is measured not only in barriers and shortages, but in lives lost. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA ), nearly 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 2023, more than 200 of them children.
For families, the burden is heavy. "We are a young society," Kassis explains. "Over 65 per cent of the population of Ramallah are under 40. Half are teenagers or children." Their parents, he says, want them to live freely and experience life, but they are afraid of harassment and arbitrary detention.
"There are thousands of prisoners. Every day people detained without court orders and kept in jail for six months, which can be renewed. The idea is to kill our spirit." Nevertheless, he insists, resilience endures: "Look at Gaza. Look at the kids smiling. For me, this is resilience. Those people, they choose life in spite of everything."
As mayor, he believes resilience must be nurtured at the grassroots: through education, green spaces, and instilling pride in the land. "We built it up through years of hard work and education for the children to cherish life, to cherish the beauty of the city, to love the land, to belong to the land. These are things that we do, that is part of our DNA at the municipality."
A path forward
The UN has long supported a two-State solution as the framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: an independent State of Palestine living side by side with Israel in peace and security. Key issues still to be resolved include borders, settlements, the status of Jerusalem, refugees, and security arrangements.
Until that vision is realized, Kassis says, the people of Ramallah will continue to hold on to hope - one home, one family, one tree at a time.
The UN has long supported a two-State solution as the framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: an independent State of Palestine living side by side with Israel in peace and security. Key issues still to be resolved include borders, settlements, the status of Jerusalem, refugees, and security arrangements.
Until that vision is realized, Kassis says, the people of Ramallah will continue to hold on to hope - one home, one family, one tree at a time.
