Occupied Territories 2013-2024

Occupied Territories is not only the title of the project, but the daily condition of those who live within a space and time marked by constant and oppressive Israeli occupation. It is not simply about places on a map — Gaza, Lebanon, or the West Bank. These territories are symbols of a deeper experience, one that transcends geography.

Occupied Territories is the space and time of those who live under permanent siege. It is the sensation of suspended time, of days that do not flow as they should, and of bodies deprived of the freedom to move, to exist without limits. It is the interruption of lives, forced to continually redefine themselves within a context of endless conflict.

The photographic project began in Gaza in 2013, during the floods that submerged entire neighborhoods and crippled an already fragile infrastructure after years of conflict and blockade. In 2018, again in Gaza, the work documented the 70th anniversary of the Nakba and the Great March of Return. After the genocide that began on October 7, 2023, unable to enter Gaza due to the Israeli blockade, I flew over the Strip from Jordan, joining the complex operations of humanitarian aid distribution. The project then moved to the West Bank, continuing there throughout 2024, before focusing on Lebanon later that same year. Finally, in October of the following year, the work in Lebanon documented the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

Occupied Territories is a book published by Dario Cimorelli Editore in July 2025 — a bilingual edition, with texts in Italian and English. It features a hardcover design, measuring 20.5 × 28 cm, and accompanies an international touring exhibition.

Occupied Territories unfolds across three main sections — the West Bank, Gaza, and Lebanon — each with its own visual identity and coherent narrative thread. Together, they tell a story of violence, resilience, and hope, intertwining experiences that overlap and mirror one another to form a collective narrative. The first section, dedicated to the West Bank, is entirely in black and white. Here, occupation manifests in quieter forms — hidden behind control and surveillance. The monochrome underscores this subterranean tension: ever-present, yet rarely explosive. In Gaza, the visual language shifts — black and white alternate with color to convey an emotional crescendo, reflecting the discontinuity of life in a territory oscillating between deceptive calm and sudden violence. Finally, in Lebanon, color dominates. Here, occupation is no longer just control but open warfare — devastation impossible to ignore. The use of color makes the images raw and immediate, confronting the viewer with the brutal reality of war.

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