West Bank: Displaced Palestinians face Ramadan of ‘humiliation and uncertainty’

Maysa al-Natour never imagined she would spend the month of Ramadan far from her home in the Jenin refugee camp.

But since the Israeli invasion of the occupied West Bank city began in January, the Palestinian mother and her family have been internally displaced to a nearby neighbourhood.

Like tens of thousands like her, displaced people from the northern West Bank camp have been facing dire conditions this Ramadan. 

Their needs remain unmet, and many are still living in shelter centres.

“I spent more than 40 days without gas for cooking, and until now I have no washing machine and I have to wash clothes at a neighbour’s house,” al-Natour told Middle East Eye. 

“There are no simple ingredients, not even suitable food for my children, and everyday iftar and suhoor pose a great challenge,” she added.

The uncertainty of the future is another source of suffering for the displaced, as they hear the constant sounds of bombings, demolitions, and home burnings within the camps. 

They are left in the dark about whether they will ever return to their homes or if their lives will continue in this state of turmoil for the foreseeable future.

The Israeli army launched a wide-scale assault on the northern West Bank cities of Jenin and Tulkarem in January. 

According to the UN, the operation has displaced over 40,000 Palestinians.

Last month, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that 40,000 Palestinians forcibly displaced by Israeli troops from the Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams refugee camps would not be allowed to return.

He ordered Israeli forces to remain in the area for at least a year.

Since 7 October 2023, the Israeli army and settlers have intensified attacks in the West Bank, leaving around 930 Palestinians killed, 7,000 wounded and 14,500 arrested.

'Living a nightmare'

At first, Al-Natour and her family of seven were displaced multiple times, enduring difficult conditions before taking refuge in an empty residential building, where they remain.

The apartment they were relocated to was completely bare. In the first few days, she and her children slept on the floor without mattresses or covers.

Al-Natour had lived in the al-Hawashin neighbourhood of the Jenin camp, and since the start of the Israeli assault, she hadn’t been able to learn the fate of her home. When we spoke to her, she had just returned from trying to reach it.

"I insisted on going to my house to see if it had been damaged. I found it half demolished and uninhabitable. All the furniture had been torn apart by soldiers' bullets," she explained.

Despite the destruction, she took some cooking utensils, though damaged. While there, she recalled that the Israeli army returned to the area, trapping them in a nearby house for an hour before they managed to escape.

Even though displaced, the Israeli army is often stationed in front of the building where al-Natour and her family are staying. She also feels a deep sadness whenever she sees smoke rising from the homes in the camp.

“There is no future. I sold a piece of land to buy a house for my son above mine, and now all our houses have been demolished and are uninhabitable,” she said.

“I feel like I am living a nightmare and want to wake up.”

Humiliation in Ramadan

Bayan al-Qaraawi lives in Nour Shams camp near Tulkarm, which has been under Israeli aggression for over 20 days. Although she resided on the outskirts, the soldiers expelled her and her family, along with all 30 of her husband’s relatives who were living in five apartments.

The house raid was violent and brutal, according to al-Qaraawi. The soldiers gave them no time to pack or take anything with them except the clothes they were wearing.

“We were forced out at gunpoint, with the soldiers screaming and rushing us to leave. The streets were bulldozed, and nothing was suitable for cars. It was a terrible day,” she said.

After a difficult journey through the streets, which had turned into piles of dirt, Bayan and her family managed to leave the camp. 

'I never saw any of my family asking for food. But now, during Ramadan, the displaced face unprecedented humiliation'

- Bayan al-Qaraawi, Displaced Palestinan

They dispersed to various places, with al-Qaraawi, her husband, and their four children heading to her mother’s house in Nablus.

Her husband’s family was scattered, with each of them now living in cramped apartments—ten people forced to share a small space. Some sought refuge in shelter centres under harsh conditions.

“We used to live comfortably, and I never saw any of my family asking for food. But now, during Ramadan, the displaced face unprecedented humiliation, and our future is uncertain,” she told MEE.

“We fear our homes will be demolished or burned, like many others. We follow every piece of news with anguish and fear,” she added.

Her children have been out of school since the invasion of the Tulkarm camp, adjacent to Nour Shams, over 40 days ago. Now, they look miserable, without a place to play, no education, and no access to basic rights.

Trapped in the camp

Unlike many residents of the attacked West Bank cities, Thaer Daraghmeh and his family refused to leave their home in Tulkarm camp, trapping themselves in a constant circle of danger.

He told MEE that more than 250 families remain in the camp, living in neighbourhoods that don’t experience constant incursions but are still gripped by an unprecedented fear for their fate.

“We refused to leave because we knew that if we did, we might never return. So, we chose to stay,” Daraghmeh said.

“Every moment, we hear gunfire, explosions, and the demolition of homes. We see thick smoke after some are burned. But despite all of this, we remain steadfast.” 

While the amount of aid reaching the people in the camp has improved during Ramadan, it still falls short of what is needed.

Water and electricity are often cut off, and there is no official Palestinian support for their perseverance, according to Daraghmeh.

The frequent incursions by the Israeli army make life even harder. Daraghmeh hasn’t been able to leave his home for 37 days, except for one 30-minute outing.

“I have five children who no longer live a normal life. They can't stand near windows, play loudly, or leave the house. Their psychological state has deteriorated badly,” he explained.

Daraghmeh fears that the Israeli army will force them to evacuate, as they did with other residents of the camp.

For him, leaving their home would mean the end of their life in the camp.