Into the West Bank | Solo Through Occupied Palestine

Video Description

I cycled over 300km alone through the occupied West Bank. This journey took me through Israeli checkpoints, military zones, and illegal Israeli settlements, as I explored what life is like under occupation for millions of Palestinians. This is the first part of my cycle touring documentary series through Palestine, focusing on the northern West Bank. Along the way, I passed through fortified settler roads, restricted military areas, and Palestinian towns impacted by decades of Israeli military control, land seizures, and systemic displacement. I crossed through the fragmented zones of the West Bank — Areas A, B, and C — established under the Oslo Accords. Area C, which makes up over 60% of the territory, is under full Israeli military and civil control and remains the primary site of rapid settlement expansion. Area B is under joint Israeli-Palestinian control, while Area A is administered solely by the Palestinian Authority. It was only in Area A that I was able to speak openly with Palestinians about life under Israeli occupation — including military raids, surveillance, checkpoints, and the daily struggle for movement, water, and rights. I also gained rare access inside an Israeli settlement, where right-wing Zionist settlers see themselves as a frontline defense against Palestinians and the surrounding Arab countries. These settlements — illegal under international law — continue to grow despite global condemnation. Human rights organizations increasingly describe the system in place across the West Bank as apartheid, citing unequal legal systems, restrictions on movement, and expanding annexation. This episode is part of a larger Middle East documentary series, cycle touring across Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Chapters 00:00 – Entering the Occupied West Bank 05:00 – The Structure of the Occupation (Areas A, B, C) 10:00 – Inside an Israeli Settlement 20:37 – Huwara: a Palestinian Flashpoint Town 24:58 - Cycling to Ramallah 28:23 – Exploring Ramallah 34:50 – The Occupation of Water 36:04 - Ramallah's Welcoming Atmosphere 37:17 - Palestine's Capital: Ramallah or East Jerusalem? 39:11 – Arafat & the PA 43:07 - Speaking to Palestinians in Ramallah 46:24 – Into Jerusalem: The West Bank Separation Wall #WestBank #Palestine #IsraelPalestine #Documentary #CycleTouring