Webinar: Update from the West Bank: How the Occupation has Intensified Since October 7th

Since October 7, we have been mostly focused on the Israeli assault on Gaza, unable to look away from the bombing, displacement and starvation of the Palestinians in Gaza. At the same time, the oppression and violence against Palestinians living in the West Bank has escalated. In the past 6 months, 7000 Palestinians have been detained in the West Bank, including 440 children, and over 1500 Palestinians have been displaced from Area C. (source: WAFA News agency and Reliefweb). At least 317 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank since October 7, according to the Palestine Authority Health Ministry. In this webinar we will turn our attention to the West Bank.

Shaina Low is a human rights lawyer and serves as the Norwegians Refugee Council (NRC) Palestine Communication Adviser working to amplify the stories of communities facing displacement in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). Originally from Lincoln MA, and now based in East Jerusalem, she has given testimony to the UK House of Commons and frequently appears on news organizations worldwide, including CNN, BBC, CBC, Democracy Now and Al Jazeera. In 2023, Shaina was jointly awarded NRC’s spokesperson of the year, alongside her colleague Yousef Hammash, for their media work on the escalation in hostilities in Gaza. Shaina has 15 years of experience working on issues related to Israel and the oPt. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Columbia University and a juris doctor from the City University of New York (CUNY) Law School. Shaina will talk about the forcible transfer of Palestinians from Area C in the West Bank and the increase in the frequency and intensity of settler violence attacks.

Also speaking will be Issa Amro, well-known Palestinian activist, resident of Hebron. Working with B’tselem, the Israeli human rights organization, Issa coordinated the “Shooting Back” camera project in Hebron, which distributed cameras to Palestinians so they could document human rights violations by Israeli soldiers and settlers. In 2009 he won the One World Media award for that project. He also founded the organization “Youth Against Settlements”, whose mission is to promote the use of nonviolent resistance against the Israeli Occupation. He endures ongoing harassment by Israeli soldiers and settlers and has been arrested over 100 times. Issa will talk about the repression and harassment of Palestinians in the West Bank and how that has been exacerbated since Oct. 7.

Resources:

Israeli soldier assaults Issa Amro Feb. 2023, 2:30 min.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8nOJ6Dre7w&t=74s

Palestinians in Hebron under lockdown, Jan . 2024, 4:30 min.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TBHfvQI0y4

Issa Amro giving a tour in Hebron, Oct. 2019, 12 min.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaAg4egQTFo

Shaina Low interview, Feb. 2024

“Everyone is worried about starvation’: Aid worker discusses dire situation in Gaza”

https://theworld.org/stories/2024-02-27/everyone-worried-about-starvation-aid-worker-discusses-dire-situation-gaza