As a Palestinian photojournalist living in the West Bank my daily work is very far from the quiet and fabulous nature that is seen in these pictures. Every week I spend hours covering protests, clashes, and the military operations of the Israeli occupying forces. In between I give myself some rest time, which I prefer to spend in hills and mountains around the trees and flowers, away from the usual places I work.
Every year I try to take advantage of the spring season to take some green frames before the start of summer season when everything turns yellow. After a good rainy period and even before the official start of spring, Palestine has again turned green with colorful flowers blooming everywhere. Palestine is one of the greenest areas in the Middle East.
These photos are a reminder of the wonderful landscapes and wildlife that still exist here and which are in dire need of protection from destruction, especially that caused by the growth of the Israeli settlements. In many places the amazing natural scenes in Palestine are distorted by Israeli occupation structures. It could be a settlement, the wall, a fence or a military base.
This series of photos was taken around Nablus, Jenin, and Tulkarem, known to have the greenest lands during spring in the West Bank.