FOCUS AREAS
Humanitarian Aid
We Will Return is a dedicated humanitarian organization committed to alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people by providing essential relief and support. With a steadfast focus on addressing the urgent needs of communities in Palestine, We Will Return strives to deliver crucial assistance in the form of food, medical care, clean water, and shelter. This organization operates with a profound sense of compassion and a mission to improve the quality of life for those affected by conflict and hardship in the region. Through its unwavering commitment to humanitarian principles, We Will Return stands as a beacon of hope, working tirelessly to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals facing adversity in Palestine.
Social Activism
We Will Return is a dynamic organization dedicated to social activism with a specific focus on raising awareness and garnering support for the Palestinian cause. Committed to advocating for justice and solidarity, We Will Return employs various powerful means of activism, including rallies, demonstrations, and communal action. Through these activities, the organization seeks to amplify the voices of the Palestinian people, shedding light on their struggles and aspirations. We Will Return serves as a catalyst for change by engaging communities, fostering dialogue, and mobilizing individuals to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian population. By leveraging the power of social activism, We Will Return strives to create a global movement that advocates for a just and equitable resolution to the challenges faced by the people of Palestine.
Education
We Will Return is a dedicated organization that places a paramount emphasis on education as a powerful tool for raising awareness and fostering understanding of the situation in Palestine. Committed to dispelling misinformation and promoting informed perspectives, We Will Return conducts information sessions, panels, and disseminates educational materials to enlighten individuals about the realities faced by the Palestinian people. Through their proactive educational initiatives, We Will Return seeks to empower communities with accurate information, encouraging critical thinking and compassionate engagement. By providing an accurate understanding of the challenges in Palestine, We Will Return aims to garner support and solidarity, cultivating a global network of individuals who are well-informed advocates for justice and positive change in the region.
INFLUENCING FACTORS
Infrastructure
Israel's illegal blockade and siege on Gaza - that has listed since 2007 - and its military assaults initiated in 2008, 2012, 2014, 2021, and 2023 has destroyed and crippled housing, hospitals, education facilities, and critical infrastructures such as sewage, water, and electricity. By the end of 2017, fifty-three percent of Gaza's population lived in poverty, two-thirds of which live in deep poverty, including over 400,000 children. Commentators frequently refer to Gaza as unlivable and the world's largest concentration camp.
During the assault on Gaza in 2014 Israel’s bombs and shells destroyed or heavily damaged 18,000 residential units leaving more than 100,000 Palestinians - over 17,000 families - homeless. More than 500 factories were seriously damaged.
Four years later, 20% of the homes were still unusable and some 2,300 families - about 13,000 people - remained homeless. By July 2020, more than 1,500 housing units in Gaza were yet to be rebuilt.
In 2023, Israel unleashed their deadliest assault on Gaza and the swiftest attempted genocide recorded in history. Over 35,000 innocent Palestinian civilians have been mercilessly murdered by the Israeli government since October 7, 2023, with thousands more lost under the rubble - presumed to be dead. Over 11,000 children have been murdered in the 3-month span and over a million have been displaced. 90% of the population is currently trapped within 10% of the physical land, with famine, disease, and poverty spiking by record levels.
During the assault on Gaza in 2014 Israel’s bombs and shells destroyed or heavily damaged 18,000 residential units leaving more than 100,000 Palestinians - over 17,000 families - homeless. More than 500 factories were seriously damaged.
Four years later, 20% of the homes were still unusable and some 2,300 families - about 13,000 people - remained homeless. By July 2020, more than 1,500 housing units in Gaza were yet to be rebuilt.
In 2023, Israel unleashed their deadliest assault on Gaza and the swiftest attempted genocide recorded in history. Over 35,000 innocent Palestinian civilians have been mercilessly murdered by the Israeli government since October 7, 2023, with thousands more lost under the rubble - presumed to be dead. Over 11,000 children have been murdered in the 3-month span and over a million have been displaced. 90% of the population is currently trapped within 10% of the physical land, with famine, disease, and poverty spiking by record levels.
Land and Resources
In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Israel’s settlement expansion, apartheid wall, and by-pass roads combined with its violence targeting civilian infrastructure and confiscations of Palestinian land cripple the Palestinian economy.
By the end of 2018, there were 130 settlements and 110 outposts in the West Bank, which according to UN Security Council resolutions 2334 and 476, constitute flagrant violations under international law. More than 700,000 Israeli settlers live in these illegal settlements. In 2019 and 2020, Israel accelerated settlement expansions.
At the outset of the occupation in 1967, Israel integrated water and electricity infrastructures, thus controlling and limiting Palestinians access to both critical resources. Such control favors the agricultural activities of Israeli farmers over Palestinian farmers and unequal water allocations between illegal settlements and Palestinian villages. Some Palestinian villages remain unconnected to the water network and remain reliant on costly water by truck. According to the human rights organization B’Tselem, Palestinians in the West Bank consumed on average 80 liters per person per day in 2014, significantly less than the minimum consumption of 100 liters for human needs recommended by the World Health Organization. In contrast, the average water consumption for household, commercial, and industrial needs in Israel was 287 liters per person per day.
By the end of 2018, there were 130 settlements and 110 outposts in the West Bank, which according to UN Security Council resolutions 2334 and 476, constitute flagrant violations under international law. More than 700,000 Israeli settlers live in these illegal settlements. In 2019 and 2020, Israel accelerated settlement expansions.
At the outset of the occupation in 1967, Israel integrated water and electricity infrastructures, thus controlling and limiting Palestinians access to both critical resources. Such control favors the agricultural activities of Israeli farmers over Palestinian farmers and unequal water allocations between illegal settlements and Palestinian villages. Some Palestinian villages remain unconnected to the water network and remain reliant on costly water by truck. According to the human rights organization B’Tselem, Palestinians in the West Bank consumed on average 80 liters per person per day in 2014, significantly less than the minimum consumption of 100 liters for human needs recommended by the World Health Organization. In contrast, the average water consumption for household, commercial, and industrial needs in Israel was 287 liters per person per day.
Attacks on the Palestinian electrical sector include damages to electricity transformers, demolition of newly installed electricity connections, theft and electrical generators, the dismantling of electrical poles, and confiscation of solar panels.
Between 2006 and 2017, Israeli settlers carried out approximately 65 percent of 516 attacks on the Palestinian agricultural sector. Such attacks for the most part involved uprooting and killing Palestinian olive and fruit trees. By 2019, more than 1 million of Palestinians’ productive trees had been destroyed by the occupation since 2000. Under Israeli colonization, the Palestinian agricultural sector has diminished with the continuous loss of land water. Its share in GPD declined from 35% in 1972 to 4% in recent years.
Between 2006 and 2017, Israeli settlers carried out approximately 65 percent of 516 attacks on the Palestinian agricultural sector. Such attacks for the most part involved uprooting and killing Palestinian olive and fruit trees. By 2019, more than 1 million of Palestinians’ productive trees had been destroyed by the occupation since 2000. Under Israeli colonization, the Palestinian agricultural sector has diminished with the continuous loss of land water. Its share in GPD declined from 35% in 1972 to 4% in recent years.
Economy
Israel's control has crippled the Palestinian economy, caused persistent unemployment, and placed intolerable barriers to the pursuit of happiness for the 2.3 million Palestinian children of the roughly 4.8 million West Bank and Gaza populations. Over one-third of Palestinian families live below the poverty line, defined as a monthly income of less than $640. Unemployment rates are high and the large majority of the population relies on some form of humanitarian assistance. Revenues collected by the PNA from trade, tourism, and transfers declined to their lowest level in twenty years as a consequence of lockdown measures to control COVID-19. Donor support has hit the lowest number in over a decade. Estimates on the cost of the pandemic to the economy range from seven percent to thirty-five percent of GDP.
Shelter
In the occupied Palestinian West Bank and East Jerusalem, Israel's creeping annexation of Palestinian land through settlement expansion, demolition of Palestinian homes, and zoning restrictions have undermined the foundation of the international consensus two-state solution. More than 700,000 thousand Israeli settlers now live in the occupied West Bank and annexed East Jerusalem in over 130 recognized settlements and over 110 outposts.
In 2019, Israel demolished or seized 622 Palestinian structures in the West Bank. In 2020, Israeli demolition of Palestinian homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem reached a four year high. At least 741 Palestinians have lost their homes between January and September 2020. From 2006 to December 2020, Israel demolished 1,675 Palestinian residential buildings in the West Bank, not including East Jerusalem. This resulted in 7,277 Palestinians, including 3,660 minors, losing their homes.
In 2019, Israel demolished or seized 622 Palestinian structures in the West Bank. In 2020, Israeli demolition of Palestinian homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem reached a four year high. At least 741 Palestinians have lost their homes between January and September 2020. From 2006 to December 2020, Israel demolished 1,675 Palestinian residential buildings in the West Bank, not including East Jerusalem. This resulted in 7,277 Palestinians, including 3,660 minors, losing their homes.
