Spatial Reshaping and Practices of Resistance in the 1967 Occupied Palestinian Territories

The fourth session of the seminar series “Urbicide in Gaza: Spatial Violence, Reconstruction, and Resistance,” titled “In the Face of Urbicide: Spatial Reshaping and Practices of Resistance in the 1967 Occupied Palestinian Territories,” examined the ways in which Palestinians have reshaped their cities and urban spaces in the face of displacement, occupation, and colonial violence. Through historical, urban, and social perspectives, the session explored the transformation of Arab Jerusalem between the Nakba and the Naksa, the remaking of place in Ramallah following waves of Palestinian displacement, and the role of the urban fabric of Nablus’s Old City in sustaining practices of survival, steadfastness, and resistance during repeated Israeli military incursions. Discussions also addressed the relationship between urban and social structures, the roles of local actors and institutions, and the potential of urban approaches for understanding Palestinian social and political dynamics. The session featured presentations by Dr. Haneen Naamneh, architects and researchers Lana Judeh and Raneem Ayyad, and Dr. Abdalrahman Kittana, and was moderated by Dr. Faiq Mari.