Following the 1967 Six-Day War between Israel and the Arab nations of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, Israel occupied most of the Palestinian land of the West Bank. This would prove to be the beginning of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal according to international law. To this day, the UN and the international community condemn these settlements, and Palestinians are living in enclaves in the shadow of Israeli settlements. This has subsequently lead to weekly protests against the Israeli settlements and occupation, which often end with violent and deadly clashes between the Palestinians and Israeli soldiers. Palestine is not a country as we know it. Instead, it is territories mostly controlled by Israel.
A Heart in the Shadow is a photographic reportage through the West Bank, where photojournalist Nichlas Pollier investigates what it means to live under occupation.
According to the UN, more than 6269 Palestinians have been killed since 2008, while the number of Israelis killed stands at around 293. Despite the many injuries and deaths during the protests in the West Bank, the long-running fight for freedom among Palestinians doesn't stop. A Palestinian man walks through tear gas and smoke from burning car tires during clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddoum, west of Nablus, West Bank.