JERUSALEM, Sunday, February 14, 2021 (WAFA) – Despite Israel's lifting of its third nationwide lockdown last week, Israeli occupation forces continue to bar some Palestinian shop owners in the old city of Jerusalem from reopening their shops to customers, according to Hijazi Rishiq, chairman of the Jerusalem Merchants Committee.

Rishiq told WAFA that Israeli police have since been patrolling the markets of the old city of Jerusalem more than usual, in an attempt to foil any initiatives aimed at boosting the economic life of the old city and helping merchants recover from the state of recession caused by the lockdown.

He said only a slight improvement was witnessed in the commercial activity in Jerusalem's old city following the reopening of the economy, embattled by the 42-day lockdown which was imposed in early January following a surge in coronavirus infections in Israel.

Hijzai pointed out that Israeli occupation authorities are taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to stifle the Palestinian economy in Jerusalem, under the pretext that Palestinian-owned commercial stores were attracting more customers than in other areas, despite the lifting of lockdown.

Last week, Israeli police forced some shop owners to close their shops and threatened some of them with a fine of 10,000 shekels (approximately $3000) in the event that they reopened, despite the lifting of the lockdown.

He slammed such pretexts as flimsy excuses used by the Israeli authorities to strangle the Palestinian economy in the city.

M.N