In West Bank, Israeli army ramps ups WhatsApp surveillance of Palestinians
No sense of privacy remains in Israel's checkpoints in the West Bank, where civilians face increasing intrusions into their digital lives and social media apps.
RAMALLAH — Mohammad Ensawi, a young merchant from the West Bank village of Ebwein near Ramallah, had anticipated a timely return home for dinner on the evening of Dec. 25. After graduating with an accountanting degree from Birzeit University in 2020, Ensawi started a business selling plastics, cleaning supplies and detergents. His perception and pursuit of tranquility would be altered that Christmas Day on a curb while driving through Sinjil, where an Israeli military presence is unusual.
Ensawi recounted that as he made his way home through Sinjil, Israeli forces abruptly stopped him, flashing their lights, and asked him to turn off his vehicle and hand over his keys. Anticipating routine identification check in the occupied West Bank, he said, "I tried to hand over my ID card, but the soldier insisted on my phone rather than my ID.”
Forced to unlock the device, Ensawi was questioned about the presence of the Telegram application and then accused of attempting to delete it. “The soldier's scrutiny left me bewildered. I wondered how he had discovered my previous use of the application,” he said.
According to Ensawi, the soldier found a WhatsApp photo of a Palestinian killed by Israeli forces in Nablus months ago. The image had been posted in a group chat, and the soldier accused Ensawi of supporting terrorism before physically assaulting him.
