Our projects support Palestinian communities in Hebron through nonviolent action, human rights documentation, and the protection of civilian life under occupation. Together, they strengthen community resilience, create spaces for education and cultural expression, and connect local realities to international advocacy. Each initiative is grounded in nonviolence and designed to sustain presence, dignity, and rights in one of the most restricted urban environments in the West Bank.
Issa’s House — Hebron Freedom Center
Issa’s House serves as both a private residence and the central field office for nonviolent community organizing in Hebron. Located in H2 in Tel Rumeida, it was reclaimed from military and settler control through sustained legal, media, and sit-in campaigns, and transformed into a hub for education and civic resistance. The space hosts workshops on human rights and international law, nonviolent action trainings, youth leadership programs, language and media courses, film screenings, and serves as a meeting point for international delegations. It also functions as a logistical base for campaigns, legal support, accompaniment of residents facing harassment, and documentation efforts that challenge restrictions on Palestinian life.
Youth Against Settlements
Youth Against Settlements (YAS) is a Palestinian nonviolent direct action organization based in Hebron, working to resist occupation and the expansion of illegal settlements through disciplined civil resistance. As the main local partner for Friends of Hebron, YAS organizes campaigns, documentation projects, legal advocacy, and community resilience initiatives. Through educational workshops, popular outreach, nonviolent demonstrations, and information dissemination, YAS empowers Palestinians—particularly youth—to remain in their homes and assert their rights despite closures, checkpoints, and settler violence. In 2024, YAS was internationally recognized with the Right Livelihood Award for its commitment to nonviolent resistance.
Ahmad Film House
Ahmad Film House, launched on December 2, 2025, is Hebron’s first community cinema since the 1930s. Named in honor of Ahmad Amro, a human rights defender and YAS media volunteer, the Film House provides a cultural space for Palestinians to watch and discuss films that reflect their own stories and realities. Located adjacent to Issa’s House, the cinema welcomes local audiences as well as Israeli and international visitors, fostering dialogue around dignity, justice, and everyday life under occupation. Beyond screenings, the initiative supports emerging Palestinian filmmakers with training, equipment, and opportunities to showcase their work, including future plans for a local film festival.
Humans of Hebron
Humans of Hebron is a community storytelling project that offers a window into everyday life in one of Palestine’s oldest and most contested cities. Inspired by narrative portrait projects like Humans of New York, it presents short personal stories from residents of Hebron—artisans, students, parents, and neighbors—that highlight the diversity, resilience, and normalcy of life amid occupation and restrictions. By amplifying individual voices and lived experience, the project challenges one-dimensional media portrayals and deepens understanding of the city’s social and cultural fabric. hebronfriends.org
Karamti Women’s Center
The Karamti Women’s Center was founded in 2017 in the Salayma and Gheith neighborhoods of Hebron, areas heavily affected by military barriers and movement restrictions. Created by and for local women, the center provides a safe communal space where women can organize, support one another, and build resilience. Programming includes markets for women’s crafts, community events, creative and educational workshops, capacity-building trainings, and child-friendly activities that make participation accessible to caregivers. The center strengthens social cohesion, amplifies women’s voices, and counters the isolation imposed by occupation policies.
Human Rights Press
Human Rights Press is an initiative dedicated to documenting violations of international law and human rights in Hebron’s restricted areas. Recognizing that eyewitness testimony alone is often insufficient to challenge impunity, the project trains volunteers and families in photography and video documentation, legal standards for evidence, and victims’ rights under international law. Documentation serves to prove Palestinian innocence, deter future violations, hold perpetrators accountable, and raise awareness through local and global media. Complementing audiovisual work, the program provides support to vulnerable families after incidents, assists with filing complaints to authorities, and connects victims with international human rights organizations.
