In a moment of intimacy, far from doctors and other patients, Fatima Shahin’s mother bursts into tears and kisses her daughter’s hand in the elevator of the hospital in Bethlehem, just before being discharged. Fatima is a 33-year-old Palestinian woman released from prison in December 2023, as part of the truce agreement between Israel and Hamas. In April 2023, Fatima was shot by an Israeli soldier near a settlement checkpoint in the West Bank. Accused of carrying out a knife attack on an Israeli soldier, Fatima spent months between the hospital of the prison and the detention center. Her spine is seriously damaged and doctors still can not guarantee her return to full mobility. The uncertainty of what happened that day still exists.The Israeli military’s press office said it could not comment on the case. Fatima, says she’s scared about the increase of radicalisation and refuses the accuses, claiming to be innocent. However, her return home was celebrated with green Hamas flags.

In un momento di intimità, lontano da medici e altri pazienti, la madre di Fatima Shahin scoppia in lacrime e bacia la mano della figlia nell'ascensore dell'ospedale di Betlemme, poco prima di essere dimessa. Fatima è una donna palestinese di 33 anni rilasciata dal carcere nel dicembre 2023, come parte dell'accordo di tregua tra Israele e Hamas. Nell'aprile 2023, Fatima è stata colpita da un soldato israeliano nei pressi di un posto di blocco in Cisgiordania. Accusata di aver attaccato con un coltello un soldato israeliano, Fatima ha trascorso mesi tra l'ospedale della prigione e il centro di detenzione. La sua colonna vertebrale è gravemente danneggiata e i medici non possono ancora garantire il suo ritorno alla piena mobilità. L'ufficio stampa dell'esercito israeliano ha dichiarato di non poter commentare il caso. Fatima dice di essere spaventata dall'aumento della radicalizzazione e rifiuta le accuse, sostenendo di essere innocente. Tuttavia, il suo ritorno a casa è stato celebrato con bandiere verdi di Hamas.

Photos taken on assignment for Die Zeit, text by Andrea Backhaus


BIO
Carolina Rapezzi is an Italian London based freelance photographer and journalist focusing on social, humanitarian and environmental issues. She is part of the National Union of Journalists UK and member of Women Photograph. She worked in Italy, UK, France, Romania, Ukraine, Ghana, Palestine and Israel.
Her work has been awarded by LensCulture Art Photography Award, Siena International Award, Sony World Photography Award, World Water Day Photo Contest and exhibited in several occasions across Europe. In 2019 Rapezzi was nominated for the World Press Photo 6x6 Global talent Program Europe 2019 and she was a NikonNOOR masterclass participant in Vienna. In 2022 she was a Journalismfund Europe grantee.
Publications include: The Guardian, openDemocracy, Die Zeit, DeStandaard, Elle, Internazionale, The Post Internazionale, Altraeconomia, WeDemain, BusinessInsider, Tortoise, among others.