Portugal boss Roberto Martinez tells Kelly Somers about the different approaches required for managing a Premier League club and an international team – and discusses his time in charge of Belgium’s ‘golden generation’.
Islamabad, Pakistan – The Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) commanding victory in Bangladesh’s parliamentary election marks not only a political watershed for the South Asian nation, but also a potential recalibration of regional power dynamics across India, Pakistan and China.
With unofficial results declared on Thursday showing the BNP-led coalition securing 209 seats, a two-thirds majority in the 350-member parliament, Tarique Rahman’s party has delivered what observers described as Bangladesh’s first genuinely competitive election in nearly two decades.
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The Jamaat-e-Islami-led coalition, the BNP’s main rival in the election, secured 74 seats as the country marked a decisive break from the Sheikh Hasina era and signalled the beginning of what analysts call a “paradigm shift” in Dhaka’s foreign policy orientation.
Soon after the results were announced, the prime ministers of both India and Pakistan congratulated 60-year-old Rahman for a decisive win.
Delwar Hossain, professor of international relations at the University of Dhaka, described the election outcome as “a new turning point in crafting bilateral relations with India and Pakistan”.
“The new government may bring about a policy framework with clarity of purpose and effective implementation strategies,” Hossain told Al Jazeera. “The continuing India-Pakistan hostility and China-India rivalry may remain critical determinants of Bangladesh’s foreign policy moves in its neighbourhood.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted his congratulations to Rahman on X on Friday, following it up with a phone call hours later.
“India will continue to stand in support of a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh,” Modi wrote, adding that Rahman’s win “shows the trust of the people of Bangladesh in your leadership.”
In another post, Modi said he spoke with Rahman over the phone to convey his wishes.
“As two close neighbours with deep-rooted historical and cultural ties, I reaffirmed India’s continued commitment to the peace, progress, and prosperity of both our peoples,” he said.
New Delhi had cultivated close ties with Hasina’s government, viewing Bangladesh as a crucial partner as regional powers India and China competed for influence in South Asia.
But since a mass uprising in 2024 toppled Hasina’s authoritarian government and forced her into exile in India, relations between New Delhi and Dhaka plunged to historic lows, marked by recriminations, trade restrictions and India’s refusal to extradite Hasina despite a death sentence handed down by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal over her handling of the deadly 2024 protests.
Yet, India began adjusting to a new political reality in post-Hasina Bangladesh. Earlier this year, Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar attended the funeral of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, whose son Rahman is set to be the next Bangladeshi prime minister.
![Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met BNP chief Tarique Rahman on December 31 last year to condole on the passing of his mother, former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia. [Handout/Indian External Affairs Ministry]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jaishankar-Rahman-1770981508.jpg?w=696&ssl=1)
“India has experience dealing with BNP-led political regimes in the past,” Hossain said. “India has demonstrated its eagerness to work with the future BNP government. Now that the elections are over, that has become a reality.”
Asif Bin Ali, a geopolitical analyst at Georgia State University, said an elected government in Bangladesh would have “strong incentives to move back to a working relationship with India, even if it cannot and should not reproduce the level of political closeness seen under Sheikh Hasina”.
“I expect a more cautious middle position that stresses mutual respect, reciprocal sovereignty and noninterference in each other’s domestic politics, while keeping space for Dhaka’s own strategic autonomy,” Ali told Al Jazeera.
Still, major irritants persist besides Hasina – the unresolved water sharing disputes over rivers such as Teesta, deadly border shootings by Indian forces and a large trade deficit in India’s favour.
The new government will also face pressure at home to adopt a firmer tone towards New Delhi, particularly amid anti-India sentiment among a large section of Bangladeshi youth, who allege “excessive Indian interference” in the country’s internal affairs.
Saleh Shahriar of North South University in Dhaka questioned how far the BNP would go in its dealings with India. “Tarique Rahman’s BNP is different from Khaleda Zia’s BNP,” he said.
Where India confronts uncertainty, Pakistan has seen an opportunity.
Under Bangladesh’s interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh and Pakistan resumed direct flights, exchanged high-level civilian and military visits, and eased visa procedures, among various other confidence-building steps.
Analysts say that momentum could gather pace under a BNP government.
Former Pakistani foreign secretary and diplomat Salman Bashir told Al Jazeera the Bangladesh election “marks the end of Awami League’s long dalliance” with India and “a reopening of close relations” with Pakistan.
“Bangladesh does not have to balance its relations with India and Pakistan,” Bashir said. “Ties with Pakistan have improved. Pakistan should persist with its present policy of giving priority to its relations with Dhaka.”
Last month, the Pakistani military announced that it was in conversation with its Bangladeshi counterparts to sell them Pakistan-manufactured JF-17 fighter jets.
Bashir said there is a possibility that Bangladesh, Pakistan and China may come closer in defence matters.
“It should be possible for Bangladesh to lead a more independent policy towards Pakistan and the Middle East. Ties with China would be strengthened. In short, it means a reversal of India’s dominant posture in the region,” he said.
Other analysts, however, urge caution. “Bangladesh’s economic interests and geography ensure India remains its primary neighbour,” said Ali, the analyst at Georgia State University.
Praveen Donthi of the International Crisis Group thinks Dhaka will try to balance relations with both Beijing and New Delhi, with possible outreach to Islamabad as well. He said India pursues a pragmatic approach to its strategic and foreign policy, “though it may sometimes take time to reorient itself”.
Shahab Enam Khan, executive director of the Bangladesh Center for Indo-Pacific Affairs, said the BNP will pursue a “more transactional approach” towards both Islamabad and Delhi.
“Pakistan, as a natural regional neighbour, will benefit from more transparent and structured cooperation,” he said.
Perhaps the most consequential relationship for the incoming Bangladesh government will be with China.
Beijing maintained strong ties with Hasina, while also cultivating links across Bangladesh’s political spectrum, positioning itself regardless of the domestic political dynamics.
Under Hasina’s long rule, China expanded its economic footprint through its Belt and Road Initiative, deepening infrastructure investments and military cooperation with Dhaka.
The interim government that succeeded Hasina also secured about $2.1bn in Chinese investments, loans and grants, alongside high-level visits to Beijing, including by Yunus.
On Friday, the Chinese embassy congratulated the BNP on its victory, expressing readiness to work with the new government on “writing new chapters of China-Bangladesh relations”.
Hossain, professor of international relations at the University of Dhaka, said the BNP would likely “further deepen its relations with China, hearkening back to the past experience of friendly ties” under the previous governments led by the party.
At the same time, he noted, Bangladesh will face a “growing American opposition to China’s increased presence” in the region.
Ali of the Georgia State University argued that Dhaka’s most viable path would be to “keep Chinese investment and connectivity projects where they serve Bangladesh’s interests, while making foreign policy more predictable and rules-based” in relation to China, India and the US.
“If Dhaka can be transparent about its red lines and priorities and keep the China file focused on economics rather than security symbolism, it will have a better chance of avoiding being dragged into major power rivalries while protecting its own strategic space,” he said.
As Rahman prepares to assume office, he faces what Shahriar, professor at North South University in Dhaka, describes as a “great power competition in the Bay of Bengal region”.
The BNP manifesto emphasised a “Bangladesh First” policy, which called for all international relations and engagements to prioritise national sovereignty, security and the welfare of the people.
“The reality is, as a sovereign country, Bangladesh needs to develop its relations with all the countries, including China, Pakistan, Myanmar. This will be a great challenge for the upcoming government,” he said.
Khan from the Bangladesh Center for Indo-Pacific Affairs said the new administration must ground its diplomacy in “pragmatism rather than rhetoric”.
Donthi of the International Crisis Group said the Bangladesh verdict gives the South Asian region a chance to recalibrate, as it is no longer a region that can be counted as the “back yard of one or the other”. Foreign policy, he said, tends to evolve gradually rather than shift abruptly.
Who: India vs Pakistan
What: ICC 2026 T20 World Cup
Where: R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka
When: Sunday, February 15 at 7pm (13:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the buildup on Al Jazeera Sport from 9:30 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.
One of the world’s most watched sporting events will take to the screens of viewers all around the globe on Sunday, but only after last-minute talks reversed Pakistan’s decision to boycott their T20 World Cup match against neighbours and rivals, India.
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Following Bangladesh’s expulsion from the tournament for refusing to play their games in India, the Pakistan government stepped in to stop the group stage match from going ahead in a show of solidarity with the Bangladeshi team.
After talks with the game’s governing body – the International Cricket Council (ICC) – Bangladesh and tournament co-hosts Sri Lanka, Pakistan reversed their decision.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the game, now that matters return to the on-field rivalry – although handshakes and gestures will be under the spotlight once more.
Sunday’s group-stage game is a repeat of the 2025 Asian Cup final, which India won by five wickets.
The game, much like the team’s earlier meeting in the tournament, was overshadowed by the lack of handshakes between the sides and India’s refusal to accept the trophy, which was to be presented to them by Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who was also chair of Pakistan’s cricket board and the country’s interior minister.
Both India and Pakistan reached an agreement in 2024 that matches between the sides would be played at neutral venues, even if either were hosting a tournament.
Bangladesh’s late refusal ahead of its tournament to play matches in India over security concerns was not something that had been agreed to or sanctioned by the ICC.
Pakistan’s Usman Tariq left his cricket ambitions back home to start a salesman’s job in Dubai, before a biopic about India great Mahendra Singh Dhoni changed his life.
The unusual bowling action of the double-jointed spinner has created plenty of chatter in his first T20 World Cup, and now he goes into Sunday’s revived clash against India as one of Pakistan’s main weapons.
His inspiration was born in India, and Tariq admits if he had not watched the 2016 Bollywood movie, M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, he might not be playing cricket today.
Based on the life of India’s World Cup-winning captain, the movie told a tale of grit, rejection and eventual glory – and made Tariq believe it was never too late to chase his ambition.
“I had left behind thinking of making a name in cricket, but one day I watched this film, and it convinced me that I can also do the same,” Tariq said.
Tariq, now 30, left Dubai and roamed around the world to mature as a mystery spinner.
Pakistan skipper Salman Agha insisted Tariq will be a special weapon when his side face their archrivals, after being cleared to play following an Islamabad government U-turn that reversed an earlier order to boycott the India match.
“Tariq is our X-factor and a key weapon,” Agha said ahead of the tournament after Pakistan had used him sparingly to protect his unique action.
Since making his international debut just three months ago, Tariq has taken 11 wickets in four T20 internationals, including a hat-trick against Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi.
He grabbed a match-defining 3-27 against the USA in Colombo on his World Cup debut this week.
The 28-year-old’s bizarre bowling action was reported as illegal twice in the last two years, but was cleared by the ICC’s laboratory.
His action carries an element of mystery as he pauses exaggeratedly before releasing the ball in a slingshot manner.
England’s Tom Banton questioned Tariq’s action in the United Arab Emirates T20 League last year.
Australia all-rounder Cameron Green mimicked Tariq’s round-arm during the T20 series before the World Cup in Lahore, raising renewed doubts.
But India player Ravichandran Ashwin, himself a great spinner, and umpire Anil Chaudhary declared Tariq’s bowling action to be within the rules.
“I believe that it is entirely legal,” Ashwin wrote on X, explaining several factors of the action.
Tariq is unperturbed by the doubters.
“I have two corners of my bowling arm elbow, which is rare,” Tariq said. “I have been cleared twice, so I am confident that it’s legal.
“I have struggled this far and am not worried about such baseless questions.”
Tariq’s progress has come in leaps and bounds. He finished with 20 wickets in the Caribbean Premier League last year, forcing his way into the Pakistan team.
“My coach informed me about my selection in the Pakistan team while I was busy with my wedding last year, and initially I thought it was a prank,” said Tariq.
“But it was true, so I think my wife brought luck for me.”
From a salesman in Dubai to Pakistan’s potential trump card against India, Tariq’s script is still being written.
Prices of flights and hotel bookings to Colombo, Sri Lanka, have soared as thousands of fans flock to the city to watch India play Pakistan.
The game at Sri Lanka’s largest stadium is sold out with roughly 35,000 tickets sold, and ahead of the match, most hotels in Colombo have doubled their prices – the cost of a room has climbed as high as $660 a night from a typical price tag of about $100-$150 per night, multiple booking sites showed.
After the match was finalised this week, last-minute bookings led to fuller flights from major cities like Chennai and Delhi, according to three Colombo travel agencies.
Flights from Chennai, which is about one and a half hours away, have more than tripled to about $623-$756, while flights from Delhi are up more than 50 percent to roughly $666.
Nalin Jayasundera, president of Sri Lanka Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) said hotels were booked out. “Most fans are coming on all-inclusive packages that could be $1,500-$2000 or even higher depending on ticket, hotel, and flight prices,” Jayasundera said.
Tourism is the third largest foreign exchange earner for Sri Lanka, famous for its ancient temples, pristine beaches and lush tea plantations.
It is hoped that hosting more sporting events could boost Sri Lanka’s economic growth, which is recovering from a severe financial crisis and a recent cyclone, which killed 650 people.
Buddhika Hewawasam, chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, told the Reuters news agency that in the first 10 days of February, roughly 20 percent of the 100,000 visitors to Sri Lanka were there for the India-Pakistan cricket match.
The island nation is hoping to position itself as a neutral venue for matches between political rivals.
“This is clearly showing confidence in Sri Lanka as a neutral cricket venue. Whether it’s India, Pakistan or Bangladesh, this is a welcome message to all South Asian countries that they can play cricket in Sri Lanka,” he said.
Lahore local Mian Sultan is looking forward to his trip to Sri Lanka to watch the game.
“I think it’s going to be a great experience,” said Sultan, who spent $800 on a front-row seat to watch the game alongside a friend who is flying in from New Zealand. “I’m really excited about this match.”
Sultan added he thought Pakistan “absolutely” could come out on top on Sunday.
Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson/Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah
Former British ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson has been asked to submit himself for an interview and answer questions as part of a United States congressional investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a letter sent to Mandelson by Democratic Representatives Robert Garcia and Suhas Subramanyam, both members of the House Oversight Committee, the lawmakers say it is “clear” that the former ambassador “possessed extensive social and business ties” to Epstein and request that he make himself available for a transcribed interview.
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“The Committee is seeking to uncover the identities of Mr Epstein’s co-conspirators and enablers and understand the full extent of his criminal operations,” the lawmakers said in their letter.
“While you no longer serve as British Ambassador to the United States and have stepped down from the House of Lords, it is clear that you possessed extensive social and business ties to Jeffrey Epstein and hold critical information pertaining to our investigation of Epstein’s operations,” they said.
“Numerous pieces of evidence have come to light demonstrating your close ties to Jeffrey Epstein over the span of multiple years,” they add.
While the House committee does not have the authority to compel Mandelson to testify, it said it was seeking his “cooperation” and expected his response “no later than February 27, 2026”.
Mandelson assumed the role of the United Kingdom’s ambassador in February 2025 but was removed in September after Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government claimed further details had emerged about the depth of his ties to Epstein.
He has since resigned from Starmer’s Labour Party following intensified scrutiny and the House of Lords.
Mandelson’s links with Epstein have led to calls for Starmer to stand down as prime minister, with critics questioning his judgement in appointing Mandelson as US ambassador, which is considered the most prestigious posting in British diplomacy.
While Starmer appears to have survived for now, the controversy continues to reverberate within his inner circle.
Starmer’s cabinet secretary, Chris Wormald, resigned on Thursday – the third senior aide of the prime minister to quit in a matter of days due to the Epstein scandal.
Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, a Labour Party stalwart, left on Sunday for advising Starmer to make the contentious Mandelson appointment, and so did communications director Tim Allan.
Denmark’s prime minister and Greenland’s premier met with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and agreed that talks would be pursued on the running of Greenland, the semi-autonomous Danish territory that President Donald Trump has threatened to take over.
Rubio held a 15-minute meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
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Greenland’s leader Nielsen said in a post on social media that during the meeting with Rubio, “it was emphasised that the conversations being made are the right way forward and the interests of Greenland were once again clearly highlighted”.
Prime Minister Frederiksen said on X after the meeting: “Constructive talk with Secretary of State Marco Rubio together with Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Chairman of Naalakkersuisut, at the Munich Security Conference.”
“Work will continue as agreed in the high-level working group,” she said.
The meeting between the Danish and Greenlandic leaders and the US state secretary comes amid severely strained ties between Europe and Washington, and NATO allies, amid President Trump’s repeated threats to take over Greenland and criticism of European nations as “decaying” and “weak”.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump said, “We’re negotiating right now for Greenland.”
“I think Greenland’s going to want us, but we get along very well with Europe. We’ll see how it all works out,” he said.
After months of bellicose language regarding the US’s necessity to acquire Greenland, Trump abruptly stepped back from his threats last month, saying that he had reached an understanding with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that would give the US greater influence in the mineral-rich Arctic territory.
Late last month, the US, Denmark and Greenland also launched talks to find a diplomatic path out of the crisis.
The US administration has cited key national security concerns related to Russia and China to justify its demand to take control over Greenland and has accused Denmark, and Europe more broadly, of being unable to defend the strategic territory.
But, according to a new opinion poll conducted by The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Trump’s push to seize control of Greenland has gone down badly with the US public and members of his own party.
The survey, conducted between February 5-8, found that about seven in 10 US adults disapprove of how Trump is handling the Greenland issue – a higher disapproval rating than the share of those who dislike how he is handling foreign policy generally.
Even among Republican supporters, about half disapprove of his attempt to turn Greenland into US territory, according to the poll.
Sweden said on Thursday that it would send fighter jets to patrol Greenland as part of a newly launched NATO mission in the Arctic aimed at placating Trump’s concerns over the threats posed by Moscow and Beijing.
The government said in a statement that Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets would patrol Greenland as part of the newly-launched NATO mission, Arctic Sentry.
“As a NATO ally, Sweden has a responsibility to contribute to the security of the entire territory of the Alliance. The Arctic region is becoming increasingly important from a strategic perspective,” Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said.
In a separate statement, the Swedish Armed Forces said the fighter jets would be based out of Iceland, where six aircraft have been stationed since early February as part of the rotating incident response force, NATO Air Policing.
Nablus, occupied West Bank – Before he was killed by an Israeli drone 18 months ago at the young age of 17, Wael Mesheh was an aspiring university student who wanted to be a successful computer programmer.
But having seen five of his relatives and friends cut down by Israeli forces during almost daily raids of his northern West Bank refugee camp of Balata, the Palestinian teenager came to believe that life and death were the same, engendering a desire to sacrifice himself for the cause of Palestinian freedom, and therefore turning himself – in his belief – into a “martyr”.
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“What our family was suffering planted this desire inside him: He always knew he wanted to fight and see his country without occupation,” Wael’s 47-year-old father, Belal, told Al Jazeera.
“And it was not just Wael, but many of his generation in the camp.”
Before he turned 17, Wael had been imprisoned for throwing stones at Israeli soldiers, assaulted in jail, and then freed in a prisoner exchange deal.
He joined the Qassam Brigades – the armed wing of Hamas – once he got out of prison, and was eventually killed in August 2024 while fighting Israeli troops near his home in Balata, southeast of Nablus.
Wael’s story is typical of many young Palestinians in the West Bank’s refugee camps. Children learn from an early age that trauma will define their lives in ways even other Palestinians are spared.
Psychologists from the West Bank told Al Jazeera young people in the camps face “incessant traumatisation”, and most are deprived of “safety, places to play, opportunities, and a chance to escape”.
Instead, as the offspring of refugees denied the right to return to their homeland, they face a life surrounded by poverty, death, and Israeli military violence.
They are part of Palestinian society, yet remain marginalised within it – without the sense of belonging others take for granted.
The conditions endured by those in the camps make them a breeding ground for armed resistance to Israel.
Belal says that it was Wael’s time in prison that eventually pushed him to fight. He says that Wael was tortured by guards for being defiant, and was kept in solitary confinement. He was eventually released as part of the November 2023 prisoner exchange deal, at the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
The West Bank’s 19 refugee camps, once makeshift tented communities when they were established in 1948 after Israel’s founding and intended to be temporary, are now densely populated built-up areas housing the descendants of hundreds of thousands of refugees.
The older generations remember being forcibly expelled from their homes in historical Palestine by Zionist militias in the 1948 Nakba to pave the way for the creation of an Israeli state.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) describes the camps as dominated by poverty, severe overcrowding, and joblessness. The camps are also the primary targets of Israeli military operations in the West Bank.
Without the prospect of a normal childhood for their occupants, the lure of fighting Israel can often prove irresistible.
Nablus-based psychologist, Nisreen Bsharat, said “martyrdom”, particularly for those in the camps, is viewed as the ultimate demonstration of faith and resilience.
Bsharat, who works with young people and grieving mothers from Balata, said martyrdom is seen as a “’heroic’ contribution to Palestine”, and that martyrs and their families are celebrated as such.
Those who fight against Israel are seen as “role models” when so few opportunities exist in refugee camps, Bsharat added.
“Historically, martyrdom is tied to our national identity,” she said. “It’s seen as the least we can offer our homeland, and part of our duty.”
Though far from an exclusively Islamic concept, Palestinians often refer to those who are killed by Israeli forces as martyrs, believing they sacrifice their lives fighting for their nation, Islam, and the Holy Land – and believe that God promises them their place in paradise.
Bethlehem-based clinical psychologist and academic, Amanda Manasra, who was born in Aida refugee camp, and focuses on trauma in Palestine, told Al Jazeera the vast majority of camp residents live with untreated complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), which is significantly more difficult to cure.
The harsh environment of the camps creates a revolutionary fervour that is far less common in wealthier areas, Manasra added.
“The idea of martyrdom is related to how Palestinians find meaning to deal with hardship, individually and collectively,” she said.
“Many of my cases are adolescent men from the camps – many former prisoners – who have lost so many friends and family members.
“Joining the resistance is about taking control – it can feel like a reward for experiencing hardship, and can satisfy feelings of retribution.
“The fighters feel they have survived, persisted, and beaten the occupation war machine.”
Camps in the northern West Bank came under even more relentless attack since Israel launched “Operation Iron Wall” in January 2025, which has displaced tens of thousands of refugees in nearby Jenin and Tulkarem, and killed hundreds.
Belal, who spent eight years in Palestinian Authority (PA) prison during Wael’s childhood, feels the pain of his son’s loss deeply.
They both had only ever known the narrow, labyrinthine streets and decrepit buildings of Balata, the most populous refugee camp in the West Bank. But Belal feels that he wasn’t able to be there to guide Wael through them.
“I didn’t get the chance to see Wael growing up, or spend time with him as all other fathers do,” he said, unable to fight back his tears.
“I envy his mother and brother because at least they lived with him. They have beautiful and plentiful memories with him, shared moments.
“Do you know what it feels like to carry your son on your shoulders, place him in his grave, and bury him with your own hands? It is the hardest thing in the world.”
Belal, whose brother was also killed by Israel when he was younger, said he and his son had so many plans for when he would be released from prison.
In the end, Belal was freed only on compassionate grounds so he could see Wael for the final time before he was buried.
For those in Nablus’s refugee camps, violent incidents like Wael’s killing are nearly a weekly reality – and a doom-laden reminder that death lurks around every corner.
Belal recalled Wael becoming deeply affected as a child by the 20-year imprisonment of his closest uncle, after whom he was named. Later, he became preoccupied with avenging those close to him whose lives he says Israel had stolen. Four of Wael’s cousins had been killed in the 12 months preceding his death.
“Of course, it was also the constant invasions and the violence he grew up around, and the barbaric way the soldiers treat us,” Belal told Al Jazeera.
“Every night, we experience the atmosphere of Israel’s raids. We’re forced to accept this life – we have no choice but to adjust.”
Belal said that when Wael was growing up, there were no youth clubs or even parks that could take his mind off the harsh life in the camp. He added that soldiers had once raided the family’s house and destroyed “literally everything”.
“It’s actions like these that breed hatred toward them.”
Belal specifically remembered Wael, who had just begun high school, being enraged by footage of Israeli soldiers beating women in Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, one of Islam’s holiest sites.
“Wael couldn’t accept that soldiers would beat women and girls,” he said. “It was intolerable for him.”
Wael’s surviving family live in a crowded second-floor apartment near the centre of the camp, and his father, two of his brothers, his little sister, and his grieving mother took turns tearfully eulogising him.
His mother, Hanadi, was beaten, and his brother, Ibrahim, was also detained as soldiers broke into their apartment late at night to arrest Wael.
Hanadi was shocked by Wael’s condition once he was released from prison.
“The marks of torture remained on his body even after his release,” she said. “Burn scars from extinguished cigarettes were visible on his back and hands.”
Balata has often been a target for the Israeli military, and, according to the UN, 30 people have been killed in the camp since Israel intensified its attacks on the West Bank following Hamas’s October 7 attacks.
The pictures of Palestinians killed fighting Israel are emblazoned, like shrines, on the camp’s walls.
About 33,000 people are crammed into Balata’s narrow streets. It spans an area of 0.25 square kilometres (0.1sq miles), and has one of the highest rates of unemployment and food insecurity anywhere in the territory, according to UNRWA.
On August 15, Wael and two other fighters rushed to confront an incursion of Israeli soldiers when they were struck by a drone on the camp’s main street. Wael and fellow fighter Ahmad Khalil were killed instantly, while four others, including children, were injured.
Hanadi described the camp being surrounded by soldiers while gunshots rang close by, as she comforted her younger children.
“The moment I heard the sound of the missile, I knew he had been martyred,” she said.
“I started praying for God to accept him and to give me strength to bear this calamity.
“I also prayed that his face would remain unharmed because he always wished his face wouldn’t be disfigured so we could say our goodbyes to him properly.”
Manasra said there is a tsunami of untreated mental health problems across the West Bank, while services remain hopelessly stretched, underfunded, and inaccessible for most.
She says the glorification surrounding resistance to Israel and martyrdom also obscures a more difficult reality of unprocessed grief and trauma that lingers with individuals and families forever.
Supporting families in the camps like Belal’s is nearly impossible when services are so costly and restricted, she says.
Without any such mental health support, Belal spoke of his suffering and told Al Jazeera that, since his son’s death, “joy has not entered our house”.
“We may smile or laugh at each other to show politeness, but inside, it’s different,” he added.
“Inside, there’s only fire – and pain.”
Too often, the burden of resistance falls on the poorest residents of the West Bank’s refugee camps.
In each case, the reason for resisting is different. But there are nearly always similarities: Hardship, piety, retribution, and a sense of duty to one’s country.
The pride found in resisting only briefly distracts from the deep scars left by Israel’s occupation, which is tightening its grip over the West Bank – particularly in the refugee camps.
The surviving families of those killed are left somewhere between terrible grief and hopeful adulation.
“When I sit alone, I imagine Wael beside me,” Belal added.
“Sometimes, I feel like hugging his picture tightly to my chest as I cry my heart out.
