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Trauma and defiance: Life and death of 17-year-old killed fighting Israel

Trauma and defiance: Life and death of 17-year-old killed fighting Israel

Nablus, occupied West Bank – Before he was killed by an Israeli drone 18 months ago at the young age of 17, Wael Mesheh was an aspiring university student who was wanted to be a successful computer programmer. But having seen five of his relatives and friends cut down by Israeli forces during almost daily raids of his northern West Bank refugee camp of Balata, the Palestinian teenager came to believe that life and death were the same, engendering a desire to sacrifice himself for the cause of Palestinian freedom, and therefore turning himself – in his belief – into a “martyr”. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “What our family was suffering planted this desire inside him: He always knew he wanted to fight and see his country without occupation,” Wael’s 47-year-old father, Belal, told Al Jazeera. “And it was not just Wael, but many of his generation in the camp.” Before he turned 17, Wael had been imprisoned for throwing stones at Israeli soldiers, assaulted in jail, and then freed in a prisoner exchange deal. He joined the Qassam Brigades – the armed wing of Hamas – once he got out of prison, and was eventually killed in August 2024 while fighting Israeli troops near his home in Balata, southeast of Nablus. Wael’s story is typical of many young Palestinians in the West Bank’s refugee camps. Children learn from an early age that trauma will define their lives in ways even other Palestinians are spared. Psychologists from the West Bank told Al Jazeera young people in the camps face “incessant traumatisation”, and most are deprived of “safety, places to play, opportunities, and a chance to escape”. Advertisement Instead, as the offspring of refugees denied the right to return to their homeland, they face a life surrounded by poverty, death, and Israeli military violence. They are part of Palestinian society, yet remain marginalised within it – without the sense of belonging others take for granted. The conditions endured by those in the camps make them a breeding ground for armed resistance to Israel. Belal says that it was Wael’s time in prison that eventually pushed him to fight. He says that Wael was tortured by guards for being defiant, and was kept in solitary confinement. He was eventually released as part of the November 2023 prisoner exchange deal, at the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. The Balata refugee camp in the occupied West Bank has been repeatedly attacked by Israeli forces [Al Jazeera] Defenders of the camps The West Bank’s 19 refugee camps, once makeshift tented communities when they were established in 1948 after Israel’s founding and intended to be temporary, are now densely populated built-up areas housing the descendants of hundreds of thousands of refugees. The older generations remember being forcibly expelled from their homes in historical Palestine by Zionist militias in the 1948 Nakba to pave the way for the creation of an Israeli state. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) describes the camps as dominated by poverty, severe overcrowding, and joblessness. The camps are also the primary targets of Israeli military operations in the West Bank. Without the prospect of a normal childhood for their occupants, the lure of fighting Israel can often prove irresistible. Nablus-based psychologist, Nisreen Bsharat, said “martyrdom”, particularly for those in the camps, is viewed as the ultimate demonstration of faith and resilience. Bsharat, who works with young people and grieving mothers from Balata, said martyrdom is seen as a “’heroic’ contribution to Palestine”, and that martyrs and their families are celebrated as such. Those who fight against Israel are seen as “role models” when so few opportunities exist in refugee camps, Bsharat added. “Historically, martyrdom is tied to our national identity,” she said. “It’s seen as the least we can offer our homeland, and part of our duty.” Though far from an exclusively Islamic concept, Palestinians often refer to those who are killed by Israeli forces as martyrs, believing they sacrifice their lives fighting for their nation, Islam, and the Holy Land – and believe that God promises them their place in paradise. Advertisement Bethlehem-based clinical psychologist and academic, Amanda Manasra, who was born in Aida refugee camp, and focuses on trauma in Palestine, told Al Jazeera the vast majority of camp residents live with untreated complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), which is significantly more difficult to cure. The harsh environment of the camps creates a revolutionary fervour that is far less common in wealthier areas, Manasra added. “The idea of martyrdom is related to how Palestinians find meaning to deal with hardship, individually and collectively,” she said. “Many of my cases are adolescent men from the camps – many former prisoners – who have lost so many friends and family members. “Joining the resistance is about taking control – it can feel like a reward for experiencing hardship, and can satisfy feelings of retribution. “The fighters feel they have survived, persisted, and beaten the occupation war machine.” Camps in the northern West Bank came under even more relentless attack since Israel launched “Operation Iron Wall” in January 2025, which has displaced tens of thousands of refugees in nearby Jenin and Tulkarem, and killed hundreds. Tributes to Palestinians killed fighting Israel are visible across Balata [Al Jazeera] Psychological toll Belal, who spent eight years in Palestinian Authority (PA) prison during Wael’s childhood, feels the pain of his son’s loss deeply. They both had only ever known the narrow, labyrinthine streets and decrepit buildings of Balata, the most populous refugee camp in the West Bank. But Belal feels that he wasn’t able to be there to guide Wael through them. “I didn’t get the chance to see Wael growing up, or spend time with him as all other fathers do,” he said, unable to fight back his tears. “I envy his mother and brother because at least they lived with him. They have beautiful and plentiful memories with him, shared moments. “Do you know what it feels like to

Danish PM says more Greenland talks due after meeting US’s Marco Rubio

Danish PM says more Greenland talks due after meeting US’s Marco Rubio

New opinion poll finds seven in 10 US adults disapprove of President Donald Trump’s handling of Greenland issue. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 4 mins info Denmark’s prime minister and Greenland’s premier met ⁠with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and agreed that talks would be pursued on the running of Greenland, the semi-autonomous Danish territory that President Donald Trump has threatened to take over. Rubio held a 15-minute meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Greenland’s leader Nielsen said in a post on social media that during the meeting with Rubio, “it was emphasised that the conversations being made are the right way forward and the interests of Greenland were once again clearly highlighted”. Prime Minister Frederiksen said on X after the meeting: “Constructive talk with Secretary of State Marco Rubio together with Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Chairman of Naalakkersuisut, at the Munich Security Conference.” “Work will continue as agreed in the high-level working group,” she said. The meeting between the Danish and Greenlandic leaders and the US state secretary comes amid severely strained ties between Europe and Washington, and NATO allies, amid President Trump’s repeated threats to take over Greenland and criticism of European nations as “decaying” and “weak”. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump said, “We’re negotiating ‌right ‌now for Greenland.” “I ‌think Greenland’s going to want us, but we get along very well with Europe. We’ll see how it all works out,” he said. After months of bellicose language regarding the US’s necessity to acquire Greenland, Trump abruptly stepped back from his threats last month, saying that he had reached an understanding with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that would give the US greater influence in the mineral-rich Arctic territory. Advertisement Late last month, the US, Denmark and Greenland also launched talks to find a diplomatic path out of the crisis. Poll finds most US adults disapprove of Trump’s Greenland plan The US administration has cited key national security concerns related to Russia and China to justify its demand to take control over Greenland and has accused Denmark, and Europe more broadly, of being unable to defend the strategic territory. But, according to a new opinion poll conducted by The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Trump’s push to seize control of Greenland has gone down badly with the US public and members of his own party. The survey, conducted between February 5-8, found that about seven in 10 US adults disapprove of how Trump is handling the Greenland issue – a higher disapproval rating than the share of those who dislike how he is handling foreign policy generally. Even among Republican supporters, about half disapprove of his attempt to turn Greenland into US territory, according to the poll. Sweden said on Thursday that it would send fighter jets to patrol Greenland as part of a newly launched NATO mission in the Arctic aimed at placating Trump’s concerns over the threats posed by Moscow and Beijing. The government said in a statement that Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets would patrol Greenland as part of the newly-launched NATO mission, Arctic Sentry. “As a NATO ally, Sweden has a responsibility to contribute to the security of the entire territory of the Alliance. The Arctic region is becoming increasingly important from a strategic perspective,” Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said. In a separate statement, the Swedish Armed Forces said the fighter jets would be based out of Iceland, where six aircraft have been stationed since early February as part of the rotating incident response force, NATO Air Policing. Swedish special forces would also be sent to Greenland to take part in training exercises for a couple of weeks, the military said. Adblock test (Why?)

Delhi triple murder case: How Baba Kamruddin lured victims using ‘djinn’, ‘dhanvarsha’ | 10 key points

Delhi triple murder case: How Baba Kamruddin lured victims using ‘djinn’, ‘dhanvarsha’ | 10 key points

Peeragarhi’s triple murder case has shocked Delhi in which a 72-year-old tantrik has been arrested. He was identified as the primary suspect in at least two previous murder cases in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and used to give poisoned laddoos to his victims. Kamruddin, popularly called ‘Baba’, a resident of UP’s Firozabad, had been arrested in the previous cases but was out on bail due to lack of evidence. The UP case was registered in 2025 in which he secured bail.

Government shutdown hits DHS after Democrats blow up bipartisan funding deal over immigration uproar

Government shutdown hits DHS after Democrats blow up bipartisan funding deal over immigration uproar

The third government shutdown in under half a year has officially begun just after midnight on Saturday after Democrats and Republicans spent recent weeks battling over President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Just one area of government has been left without federal funding as of midnight — the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Congress has completed roughly 97% of its yearly government spending responsibilities, but a deal on DHS has proved elusive after Democrats walked away from an initial bipartisan plan released last month. Now DHS, the third-largest Cabinet agency with nearly 272,000 employees, will see key areas of operation limited or paused altogether. Some 90% of DHS workers will continue on the job during the funding lapse, many without pay, according to the department’s Sept. 2025 government shutdown plan. Established in 2003 after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, DHS has jurisdiction over a wide array of agencies and offices. That includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Secret Service, among others. DHS SHUTDOWN LOOMS AS JOHNSON NAVIGATES GOP DIVIDE OVER STOPGAP SOLUTIONS Among those working without pay will be some 64,000 TSA agents and 56,000 active-duty, reserve, and civilian Coast Guard personnel. Those people and others are expected to receive back pay when the shutdown is over. But as of Friday afternoon, it does not appear the two parties are any closer to an agreement despite the Trump White House sending a potential compromise offer on Wednesday night. “It’s our expectation that we will respond to the unserious offer that Republicans have made that clearly omits things that need to happen,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said during a press conference.  “There are a variety of different areas where clearly the administration has fallen short of doing things that make things better for the American people. Until that happens, unfortunately, it appears that Donald Trump and the Republicans have decided to shut down other parts of the Department of Homeland Security.” NOEM SLAMS DEMS BLOCKING DHS FUNDING BILL CITING TSA, FEMA, COAST GUARD: ‘I HOPE THEY COME TO THEIR SENSES’ Democrats blew up bipartisan negotiations over DHS funding last month after federal law enforcement agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis during anti-ICE demonstrations there. They are now demanding significant reforms to rein in ICE and CBP, many of which Republicans in Congress have long panned as non-starters, including banning ICE agents from wearing masks and requiring them to obtain judicial warrants before pursuing suspected illegal immigrants. What happens next will be up to Senate Democrats and the White House, who are expected to continue negotiating through the weekend and into next week if need be. SCHUMER, JEFFRIES MEND RIFT, PRESENT UNITED FRONT ON DHS REFORMS AS DEADLINE NEARS Both sides have traded proposals and legislative text on a compromise DHS funding bill, but Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus remained steadfast in their position that the GOP’s offer didn’t go far enough. Meanwhile, the majority of House and Senate lawmakers left Washington on Thursday and are not currently expected to return until Feb. 23. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that he would give lawmakers 24 hours’ notice to return to Washington, D.C., should there be a breakthrough, and remained optimistic that there was a path forward despite Democrats’ blockade.  “Every iteration of this gets a step closer, because I think the White House is giving more and more ground on some of these key issues,” Thune said. “But so far, they’re not getting any kind of response to Democrats, even allowing us to continue this, allowing [the] government to stay open.” But Democrats have reiterated several times that they believe their demands are simple.  “Again, the only — the fundamental ask is that ICE abide by the same principles and policies of every other police force in the country, and if we can get there, then we can resolve the problem,” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said. Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., gave House lawmakers his blessing to leave Washington with a 48 hours’ notice to return pending Senate action, two sources told Fox News Digital.