Last month, I went to Jenin to write a story on Israel seizing land for an army base inside the city — the first such move since the Oslo Accords. Standing on the city’s outskirts, overlooking the now-vacant refugee camp, much of it destroyed during Israel’s military campaign targeting refugee camps across the northern West Bank, I understood viscerally that I was witnessing a watershed moment, and that things are only likely to get worse.

With a wave of new Israeli expropriation orders speeding the displacement of entire communities and families from north to south, the West Bank is changing rapidly before our eyes. Israeli flags are popping up everywhere as state authorities carve up Palestinian cities and communities; new settlements and outposts are being approved at a dizzying pace; and all the while, state-sponsored settler terror is reaching unprecedented levels, forcing Palestinians across the West Bank to live in constant fear for their safety and their lives.

Since the start of the year, the Israeli army and settlers have killed at least 57 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 13 children, according to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

+972 needs 200 new members in order to stay independent and on the ground, and if you become a member right now, your contribution will be multiplied by 12. Reporting on Palestinian life throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem has become a dangerous and time-consuming endeavor. In the West Bank, a once simple, few-miles-long trip can now take hours because of Israeli checkpoints and automated gates — and it can even turn deadly, whether because of settler violence or the Israeli army’s own disregard for Palestinian lives. 

Still, my colleagues and I remain on the ground, committed to covering these stories so the reality of the West Bank does not remain in the dark. Over the next few weeks, our goal is to welcome 200 new monthly members. It is this steady support that sustains our journalism and protects our reporters. If you have been waiting for the right moment to step up, this is it: right now, your contribution will be multiplied by 12.In Jerusalem, where I am from, reaching neighborhoods facing demolition orders or evacuation threats, such as Silwan, is no easy feat. The line between observer and participant is often thin: watching people cram their belongings into black trash bags, then asking how it feels while already knowing the answer. But even getting people to agree to speak can be a challenge. Today, many Palestinians are reluctant to talk to journalists out of fear of repercussions from Israeli authorities — from arrest to the cancellation of a rare work permit that a family may depend on to survive.

Every day on the ground, we report on the many forms of Israeli violence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We do this because we remain committed to the truth, to our values, and to you, our readers who keep us independent. If you value this commitment, please join us. Become a member today, while your contribution will be multiplied by 12.

Help us reach 200 new members this month. Your support matters because it means we can keep reaching these places, speaking to the people living through this reality, and writing about daily life for Palestinians under occupation.

Shukran,
Shatha

As part of our one-month fundraising campaign, we have welcomed 20 new members, and we’re 10% of the way to our 200 new monthly members goal. This reliable support is what keeps +972 Magazine fiercely independent, allowing us to expose the reality between the river and the sea, and support and protect the journalists reporting it. Now is the best time to become a member, because thanks to a generous donor, every contribution during this campaign will be multiplied by 12! If you’ve ever considered supporting us, now is the perfect time.