My God, this silence is terrifying. This betrayal is terrifying. This abandonment is terrifying. How can this cowardly and barbaric world claim to address a humanitarian issue, or celebrate a ceasefire with more severe, more deadly, and more cursed crimes? I have stopped knowing whose shoulders to place blame, on which platform to cry out for the dead or where to shout for what remains of the living. 752 days, and 77 years of daily killing, torture, starvation, displacement, and oppression in all its forms, and no one in this world can say enough, and no one in this defeated nation can utter a word. Gaza has taken something from all of us, something that we can not yet fathom, but still miss without knowing what it is or where to begin to find it. Are we now forgotten history, or have all nations simply agreed to erase us? How can this fake western modernity, this mother of darkness, confront its crimes with more crimes? They have created all these platforms the Arab League, the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, all so that we can cry into the void, whilst they continue to hold us naked at gunpoint with their weapons. And as these criminals lecture us in lessons of peace, they throw us some flour and sugar and a ceasefire. Gaza, our genocide and this silence remain an open wound. My God, all this and our voice still rises, and we still fight.

For the last few weeks, the Palestinian Youth Delegation for the project BEING in Slovenia has been in limbo. Against the daily uncertainties of military occupation and ongoing invasions, a waiting game for visas has played out. For Palestinians, travelling to Europe without a visa is impossible and the application process is marred with obstacles. Yet another form of censorship, restricting freedom of movement and silencing voices on the global stage, these barriers don’t just hinder travel; they directly undermine opportunities to share lived experiences, collaborate across cultures, and contribute to vital global conversations. In mid-June, as the complex visa application process neared completion, Israel launched an attack on Iran. With rockets being exchanged, embassies shut down, abruptly halting any chance of submitting applications. After two weeks of uncertainty, a ceasefire was agreed upon, and applications could finally begin processing, with the hope that a decision would be made within the month. The weeks passed but there was no news of the visas. Phone calls and emails were sent but enquiries at the embassy were simply met with “maybe tomorrow”. With the flights from Jordan just four days away, Monday turned into Tuesday, then Wednesday, and still, nothing. As time was running out and a long and unpredictable journey crossing the West Bank ahead, the Youth Delegation made the difficult decision to split up. Most packed their bags and headed to Jericho, the closest city to the Allenby border, while one of the team went to Ramallah, in the hope the visas would be approved and she could collect them. As the team navigated checkpoint after checkpoint, they were held for hours by armed soldiers. Then, the news finally came... the visas had been approved. The team member waiting in Ramallah picked up the visas and travelled to meet the rest of the Youth Delegation, coming face to face with settlers, who were attacking Palestinians and burning cars. The team finally united, they crossed the Allenby border, only to be separated again as some were taken for interrogation by Israel - questioned about relatives, affiliations and their intentions as artists. After many weeks of limbo and hours spent at checkpoints and in interrogation, the entire Youth Delegation successfully managed to cross into Jordan, catching the flight to Slovenia.

As preparations for BEING start, Rawand Arqawi must travel from Jenin to Ljubljana. A distance that by direct flight would take roughly two and a half hours, Israel’s intensive restrictions on movement for Palestinians turns her journey into a four-day hell. Rawand has a Palestinian passport which ranks 188th in the world, with only 13 countries possible to enter without a visa. By comparison, the Israeli passport ranks 53rd in the world with visa-free access to 133 countries. To enter Europe, Rawand must apply for a Schengen visa, which, like many other processes, is racist, islamophobic, time-consuming, costly and complex. Rawand leaves from her hometown Jenin, where Fragments Theatre is also based. A city in the north of the West Bank it has been under Israeli invasion for over 150 days with soldiers, tanks, drones and warplanes permeating the ground and sky. Simply walking out the front door of her home is a risk to her life. Palestinians are banned from building an airport by Israel. So if Rawand manages to leave Jenin safely, she must travel overland to Amman in Jordan, the cost alone amounting to 400 euros return. Furthermore, since the 13th of June, Israel declared a state of emergency in the West Bank, which has made movement almost completely impossible with gates being put up and entrances and exits to major cities blocked. Successfully leaving Jenin, Rawand now faces an obstacle course of checkpoints, roadblocks, and trenches, of which Israel has constructed over 850 in the West Bank. Guarded by armed Israeli soldiers’ checkpoints are notoriously dangerous. A place to inflict humiliation and cause chaos in people's daily lives, checkpoints are a hotspot for taking Palestinians hostage and where children, women and men are subjected to violence, shot and sexually assaulted. “Sometimes the soldiers close the checkpoint just because they want to enjoy” - Rawand Arqawi Checkpoints are arbitrarily closed down, and even ambulances with critical patients and women in labour blocked from passing through. Rawand’s journey includes two major checkpoints - Dief Sharaf and Hamra. Dief Sharaf began as a dirt mound barrier in 2022 and has since evolved into a permanent metal and concrete structure. Often closed down completely, it puts a stranglehold on the road connecting the northern West Bank to Nablus. It is also where in November 2024, soldiers shot 18-year-old Walid Hussein, and then watched as he bled to death. At Hamra checkpoint, Rawand is stopped for five hours, and whilst she is eventually let through; many others are not. After a long and perilous journey through the West Bank, Rawand arrives at the Allenby Border. Here, she must join the thousands of other Palestinians subjected to three sets of border crossings controlled by the Palestinian Authority, the Israelis and the Jordanians. “To cross the borders is luck” - Rawand Arqawi Israel controls the border, subjecting Palestinians to long and intensive interrogations, with both the Palestinian Authority and Jordanians also questioning people and sending them back.It is also a place where Israel frequently takes Palestinians hostage, often targeting artists who are travelling to reach an international platform. Held in queues and on buses for hours in the intense heat, Rawand does not know how long she will be questioned for, if she will be arrested or if the border will close before she makes it through and so will have to start again the next day. Eventually, Rawand makes it through to Jordan, but due to the rockets, her flights are cancelled. Rawand books new flights, but they continue to get cancelled. With limited airlines still operating, flights are overbooked, so even when she manages to get a ticket, she is refused boarding. Most flights that are still leaving, go through countries like Dubai and Saudi Arabia, which she can not enter or even transit through as she needs a visa. On top of this, many airlines won’t accept a Palestinian bank card - so Rawand must find someone else to book each new flight. This is risky as airlines have been known to refuse Palestinians boarding, citing that they have bought the ticket using a stolen bank card. Meanwhile, prices have skyrocketed, with the cheapest return flight costing over 1000 Euros. After nearly three days stranded in Jordan, Rawand manages to successfully board a flight to Istanbul, and then on to Slovenia a transit that takes over ten hours. Exhausted, Rawand eventually arrives in Ljubljana to begin work, with the challenges and dangers of her return journey lingering unknown.

After a few days in Slovenia preparing for the youth exchange, Rawand began her journey back to Jenin. Another four day journey, she once again faced the same relentless obstacles that marked her way there. However, Israel has now implemented a new system that requires Palestinians to register for a number and secure a place on a designated bus, further hindering crossing. With the website constantly crashing and all spots fully booked, Rawand was left in limbo for two days—alongside many other Palestinians who were also prevented from returning to their homes, families, and work. “I was completely shocked to see what was happening to my people and how the situation had gotten worse” - Rawand Arqaw Arriving back in Jenin, Israeli military attacks continue, more young men have been taken hostage, and homes have been destroyed. Aid is scarce, with those from Jenin Camp still forcibly evicted and the number of people who have lost their homes and their jobs is only increasing.