Palestine – West Bank / Gaza

A high level of violence and aggressiveness characterizes the Palestinian society of the West Bank. This is noticeable mainly between children and teenagers. The environment they live and grow up in is characterized by the Israeli occupation. The long-lasting conflict and the repeated failures of peace negotiations reduce hopes in a better future. Moreover the Israeli demolition policy, ongoing in East Jerusalem and in the 'Area C' of the West Bank, is seriously jeopardizing the psychophysical wellness of young people and children who live in those areas. As a consequence, there exists a worrying lack of places and spaces to play in, in order to spend time in a safe way, and live and participate to the social life of the community.
The Gaza Strip is a small patch of land, situated along the Mediterranean sea, between Israel and Egypt. More than 1.5 million Palestinians live on this 'tiny plot' of land, which is 360 square Km big. It detains one of the highest population densities in the world (over 4000 inhabitants per one square km). The majority of the population is composed by refugees. A half of them live in the eight refugee camps run by the UN. The Gaza Strip is part, together with the West Bank, of the so-called 'occupied Palestinian territories'. It has been and is still the battlefield of the conflict that inflames the Middle East since the end of World War II and the establishment of the Israeli State.