I first visited the West Bank, Palestine, in 2022. I came to see the situation with my own eyes and to understand more about what apartheid, oppression, and occupation meant in reality. You can witness these things through news or social media, but it makes a huge difference when you are personally there and see it with your own eyes.
I spent five days in Hebron, staying at a guesthouse in the southern part of the city, Al-Khalil/Hebron. Every morning, I had to go through two checkpoints. Between these two checkpoints, there are Israeli outposts where they sometimes stop you and ask you for your passport and visa and inquire about your religion. Because of the two checkpoints and the questioning, which were very stressful and nerve-racking, I decided to spend the whole day until late in the evening between the old and new city of Al-Khalil. I quickly realized how stressful it is for Palestinian citizens to go from point A to point B.
The level of control and segregation enforced by the Israeli military and settlers was staggering. In Hebron, the reality of the apartheid system became brutally apparent. The city is divided into H1, an area controlled by the Palestinian Authority, and H2, which falls under complete Israeli military control. In H2, Palestinians face severe restrictions on their movement and daily lives.
It was shocking to me that many streets, which once belonged to the Palestinian people, are now closed to them. They cannot walk through their streets, and even their cars cannot pass through. Palestinians had to close their shops in the area, turning it into a ghost town. Zionist settlers, with the help of the Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF), took control over areas in the old city and nearby Avraham Avinu, Beit Romano, Beit Hadassah, and Tel Rumeida. The two largest settlements are Havot Harsina and Kiryat Arba.
Shuhada Street, once a bustling market road, is now closed to Palestinians, with only settlers allowed to move freely. The heavy military presence and frequent confrontations between settlers and Palestinians create an atmosphere of fear and tension. More than seven hundred settlers occupy the H2 area and are protected by nearly two thousand Israeli soldiers.
During the five days, I talked to the shop owners and citizens in the old city. They told me their stories of what it’s like to live under occupation and oppression. I deepened my understanding of the situation because I observed with my own eyes how the Israeli soldiers and settlers acted, reacted, and talked. I will never forget an incident on a Saturday when settlers marched through the old city with the protection of the occupying forces. I was buying some cigarettes, and the shop owner asked me to stay with her because soldiers would soon come by with settlers. I sat down outside at a table with the shop owner, where she sells handmade products. A few minutes later, the soldiers came towards us. They acted as if they were in a Hollywood war movie, kneeling on the ground and pointing their guns up at windows. While many settlers passed by, one young woman stopped before me, looked directly at me, and asked where I was from and what I was doing there. I answered that I was a tourist visiting Hebron. She asked if I was a human rights activist, and I replied, “No, I am just a tourist, that’s it!” She seemed shocked and annoyed that I was sitting with a Palestinian woman. Ultimately, she asked if I wanted to join her movement/organization, but I didn’t answer.
Two years later, I am back in Al-Khalil, and I’m happy to see that all the people I met are still here and well. Of course, the word “well” is not entirely accurate because nothing is truly alright here. Nothing has changed regarding the checkpoints, street blockades, forbidden areas for the Palestinians and the illegal Israeli settlements.
Since the 7th of October, it has gotten worse for all the Palestinian people. The settler actions have become more violent, as well as the Israeli military actions against Palestinians. While I am here, I can feel the strain, helplessness, and fear. I visited Masafer Yatta for the first time and discovered much more than I did two years ago. Seeing and listening to what is happening in Masafer Yatta’s villages is exhausting.
The situation in Masafer Yatta is particularly dire. This area, located in the South Hebron Hills, is home to Palestinian Bedouin communities living under constant threat of eviction by the settlers and the IOF. The residents live in constant fear of demolition orders being executed, which would leave them homeless. There was a demolition order executed in the village of Umm Al Khair, which we visited, where forty families were suddenly left homeless. Their access to basic necessities such as water, electricity, and education has been severely restricted. When settlers cut water pipes to Umm Al Khair, it would leave the village without water for several days because it would take days to find and repair the damaged pipes.
In Hebron and beyond, the systematic oppression of Palestinians is evident in every aspect of daily life. The apartheid system not only segregates but also dehumanizes the Palestinian population, stripping them of their fundamental rights and dignity. It is a stark reminder of the urgent need for justice and equality in Palestine.
