Inside the West Bank: Life under Israeli occupation is cruel and violent

THERE ARE COMPELLING reasons why Palestinian freedom and self-determination resonate so strongly with the Irish public. Our history, our psyche, our sense of being, have been profoundly shaped by our own history of colonisation and occupation.

Colonisation belongs to a shameful history. This is supposed to be the era of decolonisation, the final undoing of illegitimate forces of brute power, yet in 2025, colonisation is a reality for Palestinians.

Israel’s forced displacement of Palestinians did not end with the 1948 Nakba (catastrophe in Arabic), where over 750,000 Palestinians were forced to flee. Israel has pursued the forced removal of Palestinians from areas under its control, particularly those enacted following its seizure of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip in 1967.

This month, Israel approved 19 new settlements in the West Bank, bringing the total number of settlement approvals over the past three years to 69.

Today, there are at least 700,000 Israeli settlers living illegally on Palestinian land in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

A separation wall divides Palestinians from each other; a system of brutal control permeates all aspect of life.

Every single day, my ActionAid colleagues, partners, and the people we support across the occupied Palestinian territory experience the trauma of living under a brutal occupation that severely curtails their basic rights and freedoms – just because they are Palestinian – and results in effective military control over all aspects of their lives.

State-backed settler violence has surged, with incidents rising from 532 in 2021 to 1,449 in 2024, and more than 1,600 in 2025, as of November. Settler violence is now the leading driver of displacement in Bedouin and herding communities. In the Jordan Valley, entire communities are being erased through settler harassment often carried out in coordination with Israeli forces.

Between October 2023 and November 2025, Israeli forces and settlers have killed over 1,000 Palestinians across the West Bank, more than 70% of them during military raids in the northern West Bank that have flattened refugee camps. Military raids have forcibly displaced almost 32,000 people, the largest displacement crisis in the West Bank since 1967.

It does not get as much attention of the horror of Gaza, but humanitarian needs are escalating sharply in the West Bank. This is by design, deliberate policies designed to make Palestinian life untenable.

Israel has built an integrated system of land theft, settlement expansion, movement restrictions, demolitions, and intensifying settler violence, producing the conditions for forced displacement, the collapse of essential services, and heightened humanitarian needs.

Together, they make clear the strategic objective: the consolidation of full and permanent annexation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Any durable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip or credible peace process will be viable only if it is grounded in – and addresses – the realities across the entire occupied Palestinian territory and the respect for human rights and norms of international law, such as the right to self-determination.

In July 2024, in a historic ruling, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared that the Israeli Government’s continued occupation of the Palestinian territory is unlawful. The Court concluded that Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territory constitutes systematic discrimination, and that its legislation and measures in the West Bank and East Jerusalem breaches international conventions which prohibit apartheid.

The ICJ mandated Israel to end its occupation, dismantle its settlements, provide full reparations to Palestinian victims and facilitate the return of displaced people.

It is unconscionable, in this context, that the Occupied Territories Bill has been subject to repeated delays and a bizarre and illogical idea that goods and services can be separated.

It is against the essence of Irish solidarity, that has led to marches and protests sometimes on a weekly basis, that has changed how people themselves shop, with people mindful of not buying products from stolen land. A solidarity grounded in shared history but also driven by the sense of injustice at apartheid, occupation and stolen lives.

Passing the Occupied Territories Bill early in 2026 is a minimum action we should take, in the face of such human suffering, state violence and an apartheid regime.

Here, two women living under occupation tell us of their experiences.

Nisreen

Mother-of-six Nisreen Al-Jwaihan lives in the H2 restricted zone in Hebron, where daily life is shaped by fear, checkpoints and sudden closures. Everyday activities such as sending her children to school, buying supplies for her home, and running her beauty business are a constant struggle.

“Our area is surrounded by checkpoints, and movement is extremely difficult. We barely dare to leave our homes, especially during holidays. Even our work comes to a complete halt.”

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Nisreen built a small beauty business that once supported her family. Today, it is barely surviving.

“Before, I had clients from everywhere. Now, even neighbours struggle to reach me. Moving around is no longer simple. It has become very frightening. The ability to move freely and access basic services is not a luxury.”

Supplies are routinely delayed, searched or confiscated. “I can’t even bring in a pair of professional scissors for my work. Something this simple is treated as a security threat. Can you imagine living in fear of bringing in a pair of scissors?”

The pressure is constant, she says, especially on women.

“Women carry the biggest burden in these restricted zones. They are left alone at home, facing soldiers breaking into houses. This is not a normal life.”

That fear became painfully real when her nine-year-old daughter was stopped by soldiers going to school.

“She was shaking, crying, screaming she had done nothing wrong. She is only a child. What crime could she have committed to deserve this?”

Despite everything, Nisreen refuses to leave. “I adore every single stone here. My grandfather built our home brick by brick. How could I ever leave such heritage?”

She says ActionAid’s support, which includes training, counselling and a small grant, has helped her to keep going.

“We fight every day to keep our hope alive. They want us to give up on our dreams. But we persevere. I am proud to be Palestinian. This is my home, my roots. Nothing can drive me away.”

Hanin

Hanin Nahawi is a mother-of-one also living in the H2 closed area of Hebron. Her home is just minutes from an Israeli checkpoint from where she runs Wasila, a small project creating handmade fabric books and interactive educational materials for children from birth to nine years old.

She designs, cuts and sews every item herself. Her work supports her family, but movement restrictions make even basic tasks exhausting.

“Everything here is difficult, especially transportation. I need raw materials for my project, but I can’t bring in large quantities, so I’m forced to buy small amounts, which costs me more.”

Even delivering orders is risky. “I ask delivery drivers to wait for me at the check point so I don’t have to leave. If I go out, the checkpoint might close. Two days ago, I returned to find it closed and waited an hour and a half.”

Hanin has been trapped outside checkpoints while her young son waited alone at home. She has witnessed night raids and violence, and seen families torn apart by arrests and forced movement. She says women in her community live in constant anxiety for their children, unable to visit family, access education easily, or maintain normal social lives.

With training and equipment from ActionAid, Hanin’s project has grown. “My project is not just about income. It gave me self-confidence, stability and a sense that I’m contributing to society.” 

Despite everything, she remains rooted. “Even if one wanted to leave, where could one go? Here are our homes and our land.”

Karol Balfe is CEO of ActionAid Ireland

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