Video: The mental and physical toll of living under Israeli control in Hebron H2, West Bank

Hebron is the second-largest city in the West Bank and is divided into two areas: H1—governed by Palestine—and H2—under Israeli control. Home to about 42,000 Palestinians and 700 Israeli settlers, the area has become an epicenter of violence against Palestinian residents. It is also one of the most restricted areas in the West Bank: There are 21 permanent checkpoints operated by Israeli forces, and authorities impose harsh movement restrictions on Palestinian residents. This severely restricts access to health care, making it difficult for people to reach care and for health care providers to enter H2 to provide it. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is the only medical organization present in H2. Staffed by an all-female team, MSF’s clinic was established in August 2021, and provides consultations, sexual and reproductive health services, and mental health care—focusing on women and children. Between August 2021 and May 2022, MSF treated 5,135 patients, approximately half of whom were children under 15.