As the war in Gaza enters its eighth month, Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank continue to face onerous restrictions, economic hardship and an increased military presence, changes that some fear could become the new normal.
Across the West Bank, daily life (restricted before October 7) has been further complicated by a multitude of factors. These include regular raids and arrests by Israeli forces, emboldened settlers, and regulations that have hampered the economy, such as the cancellation of permits to work in Israel and an increase in internal checkpoints and roadblocks, which complicates movement throughout the territory.
The Israeli military said there has been a “significant increase” in terrorist attacks in the West Bank since the start of the war, and told the New York Times that the arrests of suspected “terrorist operatives” as well as the strategic placement of Israeli forces security were necessary “to improve the security of all residents of the sector.”
We spent time with two Palestinians in the West Bank. to find out how they have been affected by these changes.
In Bethlehem, a city whose economy relies heavily on tourism, few come to visit sites like the Church of the Nativity, the supposed birthplace of Jesus.
Laith Al-Muti, 29, a local tour guide and taxi driver, spends his days waiting at the main checkpoint between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, hoping to attract local passengers. Al-Muti and other drivers said they earned a fraction of what they did before the war.
“I don’t know how long people will have energy,” Al-Muti said. “I can earn between 20 and 40 shekels (approximately between 5 and 11 dollars) working in my taxi, but some people have not earned a shekel in seven months.”
Thirteen miles away, in the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron, widow Widjan Ziadeh, 56, and her children live in fear.
Hebron is divided into two zones: H1, where security is controlled by the Palestinian Authority; and H2, where security is controlled by the Israeli army.
Tel Rumeida, located in H2, is surrounded by Israeli-controlled checkpoints. Since the war, Palestinians in the area said they have been subject to increased restrictions and difficulties.
Tel Rumeida, site of an Israeli settlement, some of the settlers are violent and aggressive, according to Palestinians in the area, and tensions have been high for decades.
Ziadeh said her 20-year-old son Faris nearly lost all vision in one of his eyes following a settler attack in 2022, but the family never filed a criminal complaint with Israeli authorities due to limited expectations for justice.
For now, Ziadeh is determined to stay and prevent settlers from taking over her home.
“We will not leave. This is our land and we will stay here,” she said. “We will live and die suffering.”