The Forgotten War

While the world silently watched a genocide unfolding live in Gaza, a shadow has been looming over the West Bank, where an unprecedented wave of violence is taking place. Since October 7th, I have been living alongside vulnerable Palestinian families, targeted by extremist settlers who threaten their lives and homes. It is an increasingly common sight to see families standing on the rubble of their former homes, the result of demolitions carried out by the Israeli civil administration. I've witnessed the deployment of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in search of Palestinian militants continue to escalate, while more civilians are dying in the process. With record levels of violence, displacement, and military operations, the West Bank is in crisis.

Since November 2023, I have covered the new reality of the West Bank. From displaced families without shelter, funerals of innocent civilians, and incursions by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) into the Jenin refugee camp, I have seen the rapid escalation in the occupied territory. The following images offer a brief glimpse into what is at stake for the Palestinian community with the situation only facing more hardship today.

David Lombeida

David Lombeida is an independent photographer and filmmaker currently based in Mexico City and documenting the effects of conflict, migration, and surviving trauma around the world. His work has been featured in the Washington Post, The Guardian, Bloomberg, Reuters, CNN, and Al-Jazeera, among other publications.

David’s most recent work documents the new reality of the West Bank after the October 7th attacks. He has spent most of the last year in Israel/Palestine, developing short films and in-depth photo projects related to settler violence, displacement, and human rights abuses. Additionally, David recently reported in Syria for The Guardian, working with multiple correspondents covering the new country after a half-century dictatorship abruptly came to an end.

An alumnus of the Eddie Adams Workshop in 2021, he won the South American Bloomberg Assignment Award, which helped jumpstart his career. David was selected as a judge for the 2023 Nikon Photo Contest in Tokyo. He was most recently nominated for the 2025 World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass, featured winner in 2025 Pictures of the Year Latin America, and first place winner at the most recent Siena Awards for his work in the West Bank.

Through his work exploring human connection, David hopes viewers will be confronted with and contemplate the issues that marginalize people. His goal is to create intimate stories that are relatable, so the people he is privileged to photograph are seen as human beings above all else.