Deir al Balah

A Palestinian man casts his ballot during local elections, on the outskirts of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, January 23, 2021. (Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90)

What’s at stake as Palestinians go to the polls for the first time in years

With local elections set to take place across the West Bank and one city in Gaza, residents are split as to the vote's legitimacy and potential for change.

By Shatha Yaish and Ibtisam Mahdi April 24, 2026

Attendees gather for the opening of the Gaza International Festival for Women's Cinema, Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, October 26, 2025. (Courtesy of the Gaza International Festival for Women's Cinema)

In a tent in central Gaza, a women’s film festival is born

Held over six days last week, the inaugural International Festival for Women's Cinema was ‘an affirmation that Gaza loves life despite the genocide.’

By Ibtisam Mahdi November 4, 2025

Displaced Palestinians inspect their tents after an Israeli airstrike hit the Al Aqsa Hospital courtyard in Deir al-Balah, October 14, 2024. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)

‘I see my wife and son burning every time I close my eyes’

Families recount the scene of a deadly Israeli airstrike that set tents ablaze at Al-Aqsa Hospital — one of many recent attacks in central Gaza.

By Ibtisam Mahdi October 18, 2024

Latest

Palestinians at the site of Israeli airstrikes in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, February 12, 2024. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)

With no safety in Rafah, Palestinians are fleeing back to Gaza’s decimated center

Escalating attacks, unlivable conditions in tents, and a looming Israeli invasion are forcing many Palestinians to abandon the Strip's last refuge.

By Ruwaida Amer and Ibtisam Mahdi March 14, 2024

Shrouq Aila, 20, Jabaliya refugee camp, Gaza Strip. (Shrouq Aila)

Voices without borders: Four young writers from Gaza tell their story

Young Gazans are finally getting an opportunity to present themselves to the world in their own words. +972 speaks to some of the participants in the 'We Are Not Numbers' writing project about hope, love, war and, of course, writing.

By Natasha Soffer-Roth August 25, 2015

Palestinians gather around a child killed earlier in a playground in al-Shati refugee camp at the morgue of Al-Shifa hospital, Gaza city, July 28, 2014. Reports indicate that 10 people, mostly children, were killed and 40 injured during the attack which took place on the first day Eid. (Anne Paq/Activestills.org)

PHOTOS: Deadly week in Gaza

Heavy fighting continued in Gaza over the past week, with Tuesday and Wednesday proving particularly deadly days in which 120 and 129 Palestinians were killed, respectively. Three Israeli soldiers were also killed Wednesday. Protests against Israel’s Gaza operation continued to be held in Israeli cities, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Photos by: Anne Paq,…

By Activestills July 31, 2014

Palestinians walk out with belongings in Shujaiyeh, a neighborhood in the east of Gaza City, during a ceasefire, July 27, 2014. During the ceasefire on 26 July, many Palestinians went back to Shujaiyeh to inspect the damages together with medics who attempted to rescue injured or collect bodies. Dozens of bodies were collected but many remain as Palestinians do not have all the necessary equipment to dig. Israeli attacks turned the neighborhood into a scene of utter devastation, with entire buildings flattened and thousands forced to flee. Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians and injured around 5,000 in the current offensive. (Anne Paq/Activestills.org)

PHOTOS: Gazans use ‘ceasefire’ to pick up the pieces

Photos and text: Anne Paq, Basel Yazouri / Activestills.org Tens of thousands of Palestinians returned to their homes across the Gaza Strip on July 26, after a 40-hour humanitarian ceasefire was agreed to between Israel and Hamas. Over 200,000 Gazans have been displaced since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge, due to Israeli airstrikes across…

By Activestills July 27, 2014

An Israeli soldier threatens to punch a Palestinian activist during a weekly nonviolent demonstration against the Israeli separation barrier, Al Ma'sara, West Bank, January 18, 2013. If completed as planned, the wall would cut off the village from its agricultural lands. (Photo by: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org)

From Israeli elections to Palestinian mourning: A week in photos

Palestinians mourn youth killed by Israeli forces, activists resist house demolitions in the West Bank and separation wall construction in Jerusalem, and life goes on in Gaza. Activestills photographers present the stories of the week from their unique perspective.

By Activestills January 24, 2013