![Aliyah*, a Palestinian woman holds tight her daughter in her arms. She lived for 25 years in the old city of Hebron, one of the most restricted areas within the West Bank, Occupied Palestinian Territories.
“Since I became a mother, my anxiety level has only increased”
Aliyah, 25, was born and grew up in the old city of Hebron. In 2015, the Israeli army deemed her neighbourhood as a “closed military zone”. Since then, only registered residents have been allowed to enter the area. When she got married, she left and is now living outside the area while the rest of her family remained there.
“I cannot compare the level of intensity of today with before [the war]. It has continuously gotten worse, but October 7th marked a turning point. The first weeks following that date were terrible. Restrictions of movements have increased and gotten worse. The level of violence increased as if the [Israeli] settlers and the army had no more limitations. Hence, following October 7th, people were thinking that the same situation of Gaza will come soon to the West Bank” says Aliyah.
“I am pregnant and for example, before the war, I could negotiate at the [Israeli] checkpoint to not go through the x-ray machine for the safety of my baby. This morning, they asked me to pass through the machine three times and they would not listen about my condition” says Aliyah. “Women here need to adapt their clothing to pass the checkpoints, cause if there is any metallic thing in the bra stays or in the jean pocket, you will ring and go through a long screening,” she says.
Tel Rumeida, Hebron’s old city area that Aliyah mentions, is one of the most restricted areas within the West Bank. In the past months, Israeli forces allowed movements in and out only for two days an hour in for a few days a week. At times, Palestinians are not permitted to go out of their homes/leave the area for four days at a time - not even to bring out the trash or open their windows. “At the beginning of the war, most of the essential goods were not accessible. Today, they only have a few hours a day to go to the shop” says Aliyah.
“People live in constant fear. [Israeli] settlers and soldiers will come at night, knock, and yell at their doors. This has always happened but since the war, these intrusions are almost daily. Can you imagine the level of stress and insecurity this creates? Children are terrified and suffer from mental health symptoms such as bedwetting, persistent nightmares, behavioural changes, and isolation” describes Aaliyah. “I am a mom, and soon will have a second child. The moment I became a mother, my perspectives changed, and my anxiety level only continued to increase. It breaks my heart to raise children in this environment. You know what my daughter told me the other day? ‘Mom I am so scared’ – and she is only two years old” concludes Aliyah.](https://img.msf.org/AssetLink/2v6x87j8y2eu6u18vlpj6uutnlbxqk1m.jpg "Palestinians in Hebron, West Bank, live in constant fear as violence surges")
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