Omar Hajajleh is a local school bus driver in the occupied West Bank
village of al-Walaja.

Al-Walaja lies between the city of Bethlehem and occupied East
Jerusalem.

In 2015, Israel built its separation wall directly through Hajajleh’s
land, cutting off his family home from the rest of the village.

The only way for the family to access the village is through a tunnel
and past a steel gate that only they can open with a remote control.

A series of walls and barriers placed by Israeli occupation forces
separates the children of al-Walaja village from their school.

Hajajleh found himself uniquely positioned to take local children to
school as only he has access to the valley leading to the school.

As is shown in the video, Hajajleh takes the children halfway to school
in one bus and walks them past a permanent Israeli roadblock. He then
loads the children onto a second vehicle and continues to school.

Hajajleh fears that the road he takes may soon be closed off by the
wall, which is being expanded by Israeli occupation forces.

Video by Akram al-Wa’ra