Oxfam's work in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel in depth

We partner with community-based organisations to strengthen the voices of poor communities and promote initiatives that lead to equitable treatment by the Israeli government.

Through our partner Mahapach Taghir, Oxfam is helping women and young people – Jewish Israelis, many of them from immigrant backgrounds – and their Arab Israeli neighbours, come together to address the lack of services in their communities and to build relationships and cooperation between them.

The Movement for Reform Judaism in Britain partners us in supporting the Mahapach Taghir ‘Second Opportunity’ project in Kiryat Yovel, Jerusalem. A dedicated fund has been set up for donors. Help support the project and

watch a video to find out more about this project:

We support the educational work of Zochrot, an Israeli NGO which works to raise the awareness of Israelis of the root causes of the conflict from a Palestinian perspective, and draws attention to the refugee problem. To help promote understanding, Zochrot have developed an educational package for teachers and students.

We also work closely with Breaking the Silence, an NGO founded by ex-combatants in the Israeli army, who believe Israeli society should face the daily reality faced by Palestinians in the occupied territories. Oxfam partners with Breaking the Silence to collect and distribute hundreds of testimonies of Israeli soldiers, including women soldiers, to enable Israeli society to see the consequences of continuing occupation for ordinary Palestinians.

In other work, Oxfam is partnering with organizations such as Gisha to raise awareness in Israel of the impact of movement restrictions in Gaza, and to help bring  about a return to normal life for Gaza’s citizens. Read more about the issues in the blog 'Piercing the bubble of indifference in Israel'.

As markets are so difficult to access for farmers living under the daily obstacles of occupation, Oxfam is helping the co-operatives in the West Bank to obtain Fair Trade accreditation for their products, so that they can reach new markets around the world.

Through our support to small and medium sized Palestinian olive growing cooperatives, we have succeeded in securing Fair Trade status for many farmers. This project has directly increased the livelihoods of hundreds of families, and has contributed to the well-being of hundreds more as the co-operatives have committed to putting a portion of their Fair Trade profits back into their communities.

Oxfam is also working to contribute to the sustainable development of Gaza by exploring market possibilities for small enterprises that could be financially viable in the longer term, despite the hardships of the ongoing blockade.

Our programmes in Gaza include helping jobless Palestinians through ‘cash-for-work’ programmes, helping farmers by constructing agricultural roads, supporting activities in kindergartens promoting hygiene and healthy living among young children, running a food voucher project which provides locally-grown fresh produce at fair prices to poor and food insecure families, and distributing hygiene kits.

In the southern parts of the Gaza Strip, Oxfam has also been working with households to develop the space on their rooftops and backyards to breed rabbits and to grow fruit and vegetables. Rooftop gardens in Gaza provide a varied and nutritious diet for vulnerable families whose livelihoods have been compromised by the blockade.

This land is a “no-build” zone, meaning that farmers and herders living there are unable to construct basic infrastructure, such as permanent housing, schools, storage facilities, roads, water and irrigation networks, or electrical grids. Many families who live in the Jordan Valley are living in tents with no electricity and no running water.

Fertile land that farmers and herders depend on are now closed military zones. Water scarcity has often led to inequitable access to water in the region, which is further aggravated by the growth of illegal Israeli settlements and industrial settlement farms.

Climate change is also playing a role. With limited access to water, Palestinian farmers and herders depend heavily on the rainy season. Consecutive years of drought in the Jordan Valley have forced farmers and herders to buy water at high prices, which greatly impacts on their ability to make a sustainable living. Despite being the main food producers in the occupied territories, many families in the Jordan Valley are food insecure.

To improve livelihoods and ensure access to reliable food sources in the Jordan Valley, Oxfam is introducing sustainable farming methods that increase productivity while managing scarce water resources. We’re also providing farmers with support that keeps their cost of production low and encourages them to keep working on their land, such as support for greenhouse repair, ploughing, fertilizing, and establishing basic irrigation systems.

In Gaza, many Palestinians are facing food shortages due to the ongoing blockade. Between 30% and 40% of agricultural land and much-needed water wells are off-limits as the Israeli government has unilaterally declared a “closed military zone” where people approaching 300 to 500 metres from the fence risk being shot. Besides depriving Palestinians of valuable agricultural land, the Israeli occupation has also decimated the Gaza fishing industry as fishermen are banned from sailing beyond 3 nautical miles from the coast, under threat of gunfire from the Israeli navy. Fish, which was once part of the Gazan staple diet, has become an unaffordable luxury for most. Thousands of families who have been fishing for several generations have little choice but to give up on their traditional vocation.

Oxfam has been identifying the most vulnerable communities affected by public health problems and is helping to improve access to water, connection to sewage networks and sanitation facilities, and other infrastructure projects. We also target affected communities with public health and sanitation awareness campaigns via our local partners and community leaders.

Since Operation Cast Lead, Oxfam has been rehabilitating water and sanitation facilities in kindergartens and schools, while providing safe and friendly play areas that help children momentarily forget the conflict. We encourage parents and other community members to participate in public health events, and voice their concerns. These messages are then reflected in our advocacy work in a bid to improve the lives of the Palestinians living in Gaza. Children in community schools are taught about the importance and benefits of personal hygiene and general public health through puppet shows, story-telling, songs and other fun and creative approaches.

In one of Oxfam's latest public health projects in Gaza, we are rehabilitating roads and connecting households to the sewage network in Al Zarga village, where families were suffering from flooding and sewage overspills. Besides the engineering and structural elements, the project funded by AusAID includes a public health awareness campaign encouraging the participation of the community and the building of a public garden.

For further information on emergency water and sanitation work in the Occupied Palestinian territories, please visit www.ewash.org

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Through the formation of community committees, Oxfam is helping citizens work with their local government to increase transparency and improve access to decision making processes.

Whether it be building a day care centre, a women’s centre, or an advocacy campaign for improved access to water and sanitation, we are empowering people with the skills and confidence they need to be agents of change.