News Recieved from Jenin in the West Bank

Life in the West Bank for Palestinians is becoming harder each day, with attacks from soldiers and settlers, seemingly without restraint.

Many of you will know that I consider myself a friend and colleague to Mona, who runs the Al Tafawk Kindergarten in Jenin. I volunteered at Al Tafawk when it operated in Jenin Refugee Camp, working alongside Mona and living with her family whilst there and since then we have kept in close contact with regular phone calls and texts.

Back in January of this year I reported that the residents of the camp had been expelled and up until now thousands are living in the open countryside around Jenin, have found shelter with friends or have managed to rent a place to stay. Al Tafawk was demolished.

Donations have enabled Mona to rent a place in the city which has been providing a safe space for the  refugee children to come. At the Center the children are provided with water, a meal, a place to play and learn and it is the only educational establishment in Jenin open to the refugee children as they are not entitled to attend Government Schools. (The Palestinian Authority has licensed the new Al Tafawk to take up to 65 children) 

Many of the children have lost their family or have to walk long distances to go home, and therefore  sometimes they sleep at the Kindergarten with Mona and her family.

Then this week there was more sad news. What follows is an account I wrote immediately after speaking to Mona, who was obviously in a distressed state. It breaks my heart to hear Mona describe these scenes of utter cruelty and violence and yet, we must remain strong for her and all Palestinians suffering under this brutal, military regime and do all we can to affect change and end the occupation with its accompanying viciousness. 

At around 7pm yesterday evening (25th October 2025) the soldiers smashed down the door of Al Tafawk and approximately 35 soldiers entered and surrounded the building.

21 children were sleeping - five sharing a mattress - as they had nowhere else to stay. Mona and the women were ordered to gather in the room with the children and had their phones taken from them. 

Mona asked why the soldiers were doing this but was told to shut up. She didn’t and as a result she was hit on the shoulder with a gun and slapped so hard across her face that her mouth bled. They laughed at her as she asked them not to touch the children or her mother. Once they had searched the room, they asked where the men were - Mona’s two brothers were in another room.

Some of the children staying last night were as young as one or two years old and didn’t understand what was going on. Mona said she thought that they believed it was like a movie and she tried to turn the situation into a game. The soldiers didn’t physically harm the children, but did push them away if they got too close.

One of the older children vomited. Mona asked if she could give him a drink of water, but she was told to remain where she was.

Mona used the word “monsters” to describe the soldiers - as she lay on the floor, they kicked her with heavy boots. Not even animals are treated this badly, she said.

Meanwhile they had proceeded once more to beat her brother - Mona cannot understand how his body can take it, he has been beaten so many times. They beat her second brother too.

Once the soldiers had finished searching and beating, the family and children were told they had 20 minutes to collect their belongings and leave the building. In spite of Mona’s efforts to convince them to allow them to stay, the leader said that he didn’t argue…he gave the orders. And he was ordering them to leave.

This, along with the landlord, they duly did, having no other choice and they spent the night sleeping outside the Center. The soldiers remained inside.

Mona was informed by the leader that the Kindergarten can still operate between the hours of 8am and 12noon, but the building must then be vacated by everyone. When Mona remonstrated with him, telling him that her family and the children had nowhere else to stay, he told her he didn’t care. The building would be checked by soldiers at 12noon and she will be held responsible if they find anybody in there. 

This morning, the soldiers were still surrounding the building and although Mona asked them to be less conspicuous as the children arrived, they refused to move. So the children came as they do every day to enjoy a precious few hours to play and be fed -  business as usual.

Mona does not understand why they are allowing the Kindergarten to remain open, yet they are not allowed to stay overnight. She and her family have adhered to all the rules the soldiers have imposed, no lights or noise at night, no open curtains or windows.

We finished the call this morning with Mona clearly very upset and feeling weak. This afternoon, she and her family will search for somewhere to stay tonight.

Up till now the family are still searching for a place to stay, though the Kindergarten is functioning daily.

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The content of this blog is written by multiple contributors. Any views or opinions expressed in individual posts are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of the group as a whole.