Voices from a Year of Horror in Gaza and the West Bank: Hala’s story
Colleagues from DRC Palestinian partners share their stories of life under occupation and the past year of horror.
REFORM
Posted on 03 Oct 2024
Over the past year, the occupied Palestinian territory has witnessed increasing violence and human rights violations, extending beyond the widely reported situation in Gaza also impacting the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The illegal Israeli occupation has intensified breaches of international humanitarian law, subjecting Palestinians to greater threats and challenges.
Hala, a key team member of the DRC partner organisation REFORM, The Palestine Association for Empowerment and Development, in the West Bank, offers a personal account of life under occupation in the West Bank. She describes the increased violence, restrictions, and oppression that have worsened since last year, while also sending a message of resilience to the global community.
In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Palestinians have lived under occupation since 1967, characterised by ongoing forced evictions, property confiscations, the expansion of illegal settlements, and daily harassment and violence by settlers. Movement restrictions are severe, certain roads and areas are off limit to Palestinians, and military raids have long been a frequent threat. There is also a continuous presence of Israeli military forces, whose often aggressive actions add to the atmosphere of intimidation.
Hala's story (part 1 of 3)
“It's difficult to recall what life was like before, given how much the hardships have intensified since then. Little did we realise that, in comparison, life under occupation before was always difficult, but nowadays, it’s unbearable.
Flying checkpoints have become permanent, military raids have become constant, arrests have increased, and water shortages have worsened. Now, it feels like those burdens have only grown heavier.”
For Hala, the occupation isn't a distant or abstract concept it impacts every aspect of her daily life, including her commute to work.
“On my daily commute to work, I'm constantly surrounded by walls and settlements, which makes me feel trapped, unable to see beyond them. The sense of being stuck weighs on me, as if there's no way out.
When flying checkpoints appear, I can spend hours stuck in a tunnel lined with walls, settlements, and no lights. With the suffocating smell of car exhaust. As I approach the checkpoint, even before a word is exchanged, snipers, lasers, green and red, cover my body.
And one soldier's gun is pressed against my head. Through the open window. I freeze, lost and confused, with my hands raised, feeling completely powerless.”
This level of aggression has increased over the past year. Hala explains how the situation in the West Bank has deteriorated since the attacks on Gaza. The violence has escalated, with over 700 Palestinians killed in the West Bank, making this period one of the deadliest. The military presence has intensified, resulting in greater movement restrictions and heightened settler violence. Additional checkpoints and roadblocks have further fragmented the West Bank, cutting off access to essential services and isolating communities.
“Warplanes fly over our village constantly, creating loud, disturbing noise as they fly low and close to our homes. Night raids have increased where people are dragged from their houses, handcuffed and blindfolded after soldiers ransack homes, ripping couches, breaking TVs and throwing items on the floor,” Hala says, describing the terror that now characterises everyday life for many Palestinians.
Arbitrary detention, always a risk for Palestinians, has surged over the past year. “The detained are beaten and interrogated in the middle of the village, with some arrested and others given warnings,” Hala notes. “Posting about the West bank or Gaza on social media or even using telegram has also become dangerous, with many being arrested or beaten for it,” she explains, highlighting the insecurity that so many feel.
“A new settlement began construction since October 2023. Located on the mountain directly across my village, which is also visible from my home. This expansion affects our ability to live and work freely, as it reinforces the restrictions on movement and intensifies the sense of intrusion on our land.” Over the past year, Israel has expanded the illegal settlements into an area larger than the total settlement expansions of the last 20 years combined.
Hala's story (part 2 of 3)
“We are not mere statistics or headlines. We are human beings with dreams and aspirations. Even amidst overwhelming challenges, the Palestinian spirit remains unbroken.
Our resilience shines through in our daily lives. From farmers tending their fields to artists narrating our story.
Every act of perseverance stands as a set testament to our strength,” Hala says, highlighting the well-known strength and resilience of her community.
However, the toll of occupation is undeniable.
The reality is, the occupation doesn’t stop. It doesn’t slow down. It continues to exploit, to kill, and to expand. What you've witnessed in Gaza is now spreading to the West Bank, as we warned it would. The time for action is now. The cycle of oppression must be broken.
/ Hala, REFORM
Hala's story (part 3 of 3)
"We say every day that it can’t get any worse, that no brutality, no destruction, no death toll can top the last. But it does.
With every passing day, the sorrow deepens, and the pain grows. Behind the headlines are families, communities and lives disrupted by violence and oppression."
This call for solidarity and just peace comes as the world bears witness to the deepening crisis in across the occupied territory.
The human and humanitarian impact of these violations cannot be overstated, and the urgency for a resolution is more pressing than ever.
Hala’s call to the world is clear, recognise the human toll of this ongoing occupation and to act before it is too late.
REFORM, The Palestinian Association for Empowerment and Local Development
