An-Najah Staff

This paper documents the damage inflicted on the city of Nablus during the Israeli invasion from April 2002 to March 2003.Throughout a period of eight months the whole city of Nablus with its invaluable historic core was cruelly subjected to a large damage. The destruction in the Old Town was tremendous. Many monumental buildings were fully destroyed. Site investigations revealed that almost all buildings, which dated back to more than 600 years, were affected by the Israeli aggression .Damages, detected, ranged from light to severe damages and total destruction. The Israeli brutal attack spread to the whole city targeting private buildings, public institutions, electrical and water system, communication network, as well as roads and landscape of the city.
The paper gives an assessment of t he damage in different parts of the city of Nablus, outside and inside the historic core a s well a s t he lifelines in the whole city. A comprehensive report of three sections was prepared that gives detailed information about the extent and level of damages. The method of investigation was based on questionnaire surveys, interviews with residents and on site observations. The disaster fie ld investigation assessment has been prepared according to the categories of damage e valuation adopted in the European Macro Seismic Scale EMS 98 and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Results of empirical investigations revealed that different neighborhoods of Nablus suffered less damage compared to the historic core of the city; however, in different parts of the city, streets with all lifelines were extensively vandalized. More than three hundred buildings suffered sever damages (grade 4 and 5).Around five thousand buildings suffered light (grade 1 and 2) and moderate damages (grade 3).The total estimated cost of re habilitation and reconstruction of Nablus city exceeds 140 million USD distributed as follows :around 40%for the old city,30%for buildings outside the old city and 30%for infrastructures.

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