Palestinian merchants gather in the Gamal Abdel Nasser square in the city of Tulkarem to protest against Israeli army operations in the northern occupied West Bank and to call on the Palestinian authorities to respond to the governorate's urgent needs. "Tulkarem is grappling with a dire economic situation that demands collective responsibility from everyone," says Qais Awad, director of the chamber of commerce, adding that "the government must convene a dedicated session to listen to and address the governorate's urgent health, social, and economic needs." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES