Wherever people gather in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Hebron (Al-Khalil) — outside shops, at cafes, or in the local mosque — the topic of conversation is always the same: the latest young Palestinian to have been shot dead by Israeli troops.
With the city on edge after nine young Palestinians were killed by soldiers over the past week alone, most of these conversations are held while intermittent explosions and gunfire can be heard in the background.
The tension is palpable around Hebron's Old City, especially on Shuhada (Martyrs’) Street — a historical flashpoint between Palestinians and hardline Jewish settlers — which the Israeli forces have designated a militarized zone.
