Beyond Gaza: Palestinian Life Under Occupation in the West Bank

While global attention focuses on Gaza, Palestinians in the West Bank, particularly in cities like Nablus, face an escalating and relentless Israeli occupation that shapes every aspect of daily life.

This reporting project captures the often-overlooked suffering in the West Bank, where Palestinian residents endure increased military raids, pervasive restrictions, and settler violence—all heightened since the onset of the Israel-Gaza war that followed the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023.

Through the perspective of a young Nablus resident named Mohammed, this project reveals a reality where checkpoints, restricted movement, and the threat of arrest are everyday occurrences. Mohammed’s experiences capture the suffocating “status quo” that has existed since 1967, now compounded by fears of a broader escalation.

His story of navigating both the physical landscape of occupation and the psychological toll of a life lived under constant surveillance underscores a pressing need to spotlight the struggles of Palestinians beyond Gaza’s borders.

Further illustrating the Palestinian experience across borders, Reporting Fellow Randi Hendricks highlights the lives of Palestinian-Jordanians like Ali and Ala Sabtein, who are descendants of refugees from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, known to Palestinians as the Nakba, Arabic for "catastrophe."

They live in Jordan, yet cling to an identity rooted in Palestinian territories. Their preservation of family documents and memories reveals the generational transmission of identity and an enduring hope for return, underscoring the persistence of Palestinian heritage even in displacement.

Hendricks' field note on Jordan’s Independence Day reflects the quiet protests of Palestinian-Jordanians who abstained from celebrations in solidarity with Gaza. For them, the holiday serves as a poignant reminder of unachieved independence.

This project uses interviews, images, and field notes to connect the struggles of Palestinians across borders, offering an intimate glimpse into lives shaped by displacement and the enduring impact of the occupation.

Image caption: A sign at an Israeli military checkpoint marks the entrance to the "Area A" Palestinian city of Nablus in the West Bank. Image by Randi Hendricks. Palestinian Territories, 2024.