Qalqilya, home to 45,000 Palestinians, has been completely surrounded by the 25 ft concrete Wall, complete with sniper towers. The only way into or out of the city is via one gate controlled by Israeli soldiers. The once lively Qalqilya downtown is now the Qalqilya ghetto. Nothing remains of the commerce and vibrancy that used to characterize the urban center, now a ghost town. Formerly prime real estate is now used to store sheep. The Wall is visible in every direction, a never-ending expanse of gray but for a few hopeful pictures of Palestinian flags, the once-forbidden symbol of Palestinian independence. But independence has never been more out of reach for the people of Qalqilya than it is today. Qalqilya is a classic example of how imprisonment can affect a population politically. Once a Fatah stronghold, Qalqilya now primarily supports Hamas.
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