Despite a curfew of nearly two months that has cut the West Bank area of Nablus off from the rest of the world, the Department on Service to Palestine Refugees/ International Christian Committee (DSPR/ICC) successfully delivered more than a thousand food parcels to people in need in the area.

Ramzi Zananiri, Executive Secretary of ICC - a member of Action by Churches Together (ACT) International through DSPR - reports that whereas "Jenin got the publicity, exposing the world to a short sharp shock, in Nablus, death and destruction was greater, although slower and almost unreported."

In a report to the ACT Coordinating Office, Zananiri writes that the curfew over the last two months has been "almost total". He says that 'governate' officials have reported that the curfew has been lifted for only 34 hours during the last two months, while the International Red Cross has reported a total of 52 hours. He says that the discrepancy can be explained by including the times when "people took to the streets in an act of defiance to the military occupation of their town. A non-violent act, demonstrated by opening shops, stores, businesses… but the price they paid was dear and collective punishment continues." In the Nablus region, 325,000 people are under curfew - the 160, 000 living in the city of Nablus and the rest in four refugee camps and the 66 small towns and villages that make up the region.

Zananiri reports that figures put those who died during the first invasion of Nablus at 128 people, including those who died from heart attacks or lack of medical attention. The second invasion cost the lives of five people. 20 people were injured, some critically.

Hibba Ahmad Attari and her three daughters Madeleine, Helen and Leene from Harat El Fakoos are some of the people to benefit from the ACT food convoy. Hibba shared what happened to her and her daughters on the evening of August 2, 2002 with members of the ACT team, telling them how Israeli soldiers had come to her house asking her where her husband was.

"Then they took us away and cleared the neighbours from their houses. They blew up our house, and the other houses. When they arrested me, I had the baby, but the other two daughters (Helen (4) and Madeleine (3) were left in the street."

"They took me to Huwara military camp for more questioning. When they questioned me in the street, they shouted and handled me roughly. They would not let us drink. I didn't understand them talking Hebrew, but some of the shabab (young men) who were held with us said that they were threatening to kill my daughter or me. At the camp, the questioning was not rough. I was not prepared. I was very frightened, but I think I managed… I was held for 12 hours, while my neighbours took my other daughters in. Afterwards they gave me clothes and food, and the 'governate' also helped."

"When the soldiers took us out, they did not tell us they were going to destroy our home, so we did not take anything. When I asked if I could go back for milk and diapers, they did not allow it. I tried to go to the cupboard for money, and to get my scarf, but they did not let me. We still do not know what we may be able to find when the rubble is cleared."

"The elder daughter has been very brave, taking whatever happened without much trouble. The younger one is disturbed. She has nightmares and wets her bed. She is frightened. When you came, she was frightened of you because she thought you were soldiers."

ICC's Ramzi Zananiri reports that their guide said that Hibba's problem, apart from having lost her house and all her possessions, with three small children to look after and her husband not at home, is that she has no family in the city to support her.

ACT Facilitator in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Rudolf Hinz, who accompanied the convoy on August 14, says that in spite of the curfew, the Israeli soldiers manning the checkpoints allowed the ACT food convoy entry into the area. Four volunteers, among them two members of the United Civilians for Peace from the Netherlands, accompanied the three trucks making up the convoy.

The head of the Palestinian Authorities Department for Social Affairs, Ms Fadia Masri and the Coordinator of Emergency Committees (CEM) in Nablus, Ms Anan Qadri were on hand to welcome the convoy, handing over a list of the families who were in most need of help. But, "as soon as the good news about the arrival of the convoy was spread around, the CEM received a number of phone calls from people asking urgently to be included in the distribution list", says Hinz, stating that this was the first food they would receive in two weeks.

"While the trucks were being unloaded, the accompaniers were able to visit the Old City, which despite the curfew, was full of people." Hinz reports that because of its narrow roads the Israeli army is apparently reluctant to enter without the cover of bulldozers and tanks. "But on 2 August they did enter with heavy equipment conducting a house to house search going through the walls using explosives so that a lot of houses were destroyed."

ICC's Ramzi Zananiri reports that in Nablus twenty houses were destroyed during the second invasion and another 51 damaged. "We saw half a dozen of them, and several of what must have been shops and offices, bulldozed or burnt out. People talked of tank shells through windows, Apache fire from the air and 'controlled explosions' by soldiers on the ground - charges placed inside or under walls."

"One-third floor property - we saw its blackened interior through smashed windows, way up on the third floor - had been identified as an explosives workshop. When Israeli forces exploded it, people in neighbouring apartments and the street below struck gold. That being the business of the premises destroyed."

Ramzi Zananiri says that various reasons were given for the devastation - a couple of buildings simply seemed to have been in the way. "In one place several houses had been opened one into the next by holes smashed through the old stonewalls between them."

"One house was chosen for destruction because a young man who lived there, with his wife and three little daughters, was wanted as a 'terrorist'. The house was blown up when soldiers failed to find him there. While his wife, with baby, was taken away for questioning, two little girls aged three and four were left in the street. Four or five houses around were also destroyed by the blast, since this is an area where homes are closely packed and one wall, one vaulted roof, props up the next. Although families were evacuated just before the charges were set, they were not told their houses were going to be blown up. They were therefore unable to save furniture, valuables or immediate necessities - not even money and ID cards in some cases."

Hinz writes that "on our way out through the army checkpoint we saw two young mothers with six small children trying to get through the checkpoint on foot. When a friendly soldier checked us we asked whether we could take them with us in our van on our way back to Jerusalem. He agreed. But it turned out to be very difficult. The mothers did not have all necessary documents on them. They could not prove that their husbands were living in Jericho. Their identity documents just indicated that they were refugees from a camp in Nablus. Despite all attempts made by the ICC team to negotiate with the willing soldier, the permission to pass was not granted by the person in command. Finally one of the mothers fainted in the heat and had to be picked up by a passing ambulance."

Ramzi Zananiri reports that 400 food parcels allotted to the Nablus area were not delivered, as there is no milk powder in the Jerusalem and West Bank areas. "The main dealers informed us that the quotas allotted to them were sent to the appropriate Israeli authorities 3 weeks ago, but to date they had not received any tins. There is a serious shortage in milk powder for children, which is a main component in our packages. We are in the process of collecting information to raise expose incidents like this that aggravates the situation."