Voluntary Work in Palestine in 2025-2026: You may have heard something about Palestine in the news over the last couple of years. Believe it or not, despite being a conflict-affected area, the West Bank is a great place to consider volunteering. 

Volunteering is a way for people to give back to the community or to use their time or their skills to contribute to a cause they care about. For those who can, international volunteering is also a great way to spend time in a new place, learn a new language, or immerse themselves in a culture that is different from their own. 

If you’re thinking about spending some time volunteering overseas for an important cause, why not come to Palestine? Not only is it a beautiful and welcoming place, but you’ll also be contributing to an important cause that has captured the world’s attention. 

This article will talk about why you should choose to volunteer in Palestine, the kinds of volunteering opportunities you might choose, and some of the organizations you should consider volunteering with. 

Why Do Voluntary Work in Palestine in 2025-2026

Why volunteer in Palestine? There are many reasons! Through engaging in volunteering activities, you can help have a meaningful social impact, support the strength of local service provision, and engage in cultural echange and learning opportunities in this beautoful part of the world. 

Volunteering in Palestine is a great way to make a significant humanitarian and social impact. Under military occupation since 1967, the West Bank (located in the Middle East region west of Jordan) is facing increasingly difficult geopolitical circumstances. The impact on the local population is significant – people face limited employment opportunities, limited access to basic services, and severe restrictions on movement even within the small area they are allowed to travel within. Nevertheless, Palestinians remain resilient and welcome international volunteers to stand in solidarity and support their cause. 

Through your volunteer activities, you’ll be helping to support the delivery of crucial and limited services like education, healthcare, and community development. These are important to helping build a strong future for Palestine and her people. Helping in these areas, in particular, especially for children, is an incredibly impactful and rewarding way to spend your time. 

Apart from the significant social impact you can make, volunteering in Palestine is also a rich cultural exchange and learning opportunity for those who choose to join. Palestine is a place full of rich history and religious significance to the three monotheistic religions. It also features a deep cultural life, a beautiful landscape, and very welcoming people. Coming to Palestine to volunteer is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in this beautiful and unique place. 

Types of Volunteering Opportunities

Because of the high level of need in Palestine, there are many different options for volunteering to suit a variety of skills and interests. Some of the more popular programs include things like: 

Teaching English & Language Exchange

The student becomes the teacher! Teaching English is an incredibly valuable way to help the Palestinian community. As the global language, learning English helps increase future opportunities for young Palestinians and helps them better tell their stories to the world. According to our students at Engage in Palestine, practicing English with native speakers is one of the most valuable ways they were able to improve their skills. 

Human Rights & Advocacy

Learn about the human rights situation in Palestine from local NGOs and activists who are working every day to fight injustice. This program gives you the opportunity to see past the headlines and gain a deeper understanding of the human rights abuses happening in the West Bank, and arm yourself with the knowledge and stories to advocate for Palestine. 

Youth & Kids Programs

With a large population of children and young people, there are plenty of opportunities to help support a brighter future for the youth. Some programs include volunteering at orphanages in Hebron, at one of the refugee camps like Al Fawwar, or in a local Palestinian village. 

Writing & Journalism

In this program, volunteers will meet with local citizen journalists and news organizations to learn more about the state of reporting and media in Palestine. Volunteers are encouraged to write articles on their own experiences living in the West Bank. 

Refugee support

There are hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who were forced from their homes during the Nakba (catastrophe) of 1948, and who either fled to neighbouring countries like Jordan or to parts of what is now known as the West Bank. These camps face difficulties such as poor access to services, cramped living space, and restrictions on movement in and out of the camp. Supporting educational and community development initiatives in camps like Al Fawwar near Hebron is an area of high need. 

Requirements and Eligibility

Necessary skills and experience

Before you decide to volunteer, check to see what programs are available and if there are any that match your skills and experience. If you’re just starting out in your career, you might need to look for a program that doesn’t have any prerequisites and that offers support for you to learn the skills needed to do the job well. If you have a particular set of skills or expertise in a certain area, you could look for a program that enables you to use those skills for the community’s good. For example, you might find a program that asks for medical skills, facilitation skills, or even business and leadership skills. 

Language requirements (Arabic knowledge helpful but not mandatory)

Another important thing to check is whether your chosen volunteer program has any language prerequisites. In the case of volunteering, you might need some Arabic in order to complete your program. This is especially true in the case that your volunteering has heavy interaction with the local community but no option for translation. Make sure to check with your preferred organisation before you apply! Some programs, like at Engage in Palestine, may even offer language support to help you to communicate with the community. 

Visa and travel requirements

Visa matters

Currently, in order to travel to Palestine to volunteer, you need to secure a visa from Israel. As of January 1st, 2025, you need to fill out an Electronic Travel Authorisation prior to departure. 

Tourist visas are issued on arrival at the border and can last for up to 90 days. If you study locally, your student visa may also allow you to undertake volunteer activities for the duration of time you’re in Palestine. 

Make sure to check the Israel immigration website for visa options for your passport country. 

Getting to Palestine

There are two key crossings into the West Bank: a land crossing through Jordan at the King Hussein Bridge, or arriving at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport just outside of Tel Aviv. 

Travel through Jordan is currently highly recommended as many people have recently faced difficulty entering Israel through Ben Gurion Airport. The way takes a bit longer and is a bit more complicated, but there is generally a better chance that you will be granted entry. Read our article on traveling from Jordan to Palestine for more information. 

Entering the country

It is important to note that entering Palestine can be more difficult sometimes than at other times, depending on the changing security situation. 

There is a chance that you might be pulled aside for questioning when you try to cross the border. The questions will usually be about your intentions in Israel (tourism, visiting friends and family, etc) and why you have decided to travel now. Israel does not want to let in foreign activists who might support Palestine, so it is highly recommended that you do not mention coming to the West Bank or any West Bank cities, volunteering, or learning Arabic.

Organizations Offering Volunteer Programs

There are some great, locally run organisations offering volunteer opportunities in Palestine. We recommend locally-run organisations because they guarantee the work you will be doing is needed and organised by the Palestinian community. Below are some of the options you could consider:

Engage in Palestine

Engage in Palestine (مَرْكَزُ اَلتَّمَيُّزِ or Markaz Al Tamayoz) was founded by dedicated local community servants to create a bridge between Palestine and the world. 

We offer educational, cultural, social, and community programs to a diverse range of international students, interns, and volunteers. With a wide variety of topics to choose from, Engage in Palestine has something for everyone interested in learning about and experiencing life in Palestine.

Since we began in 2011, Engage in Palestine has provided a rich and immersive learning experience for over 1000 international visitors, with great benefits to the local community, including children, Palestinian refugees, youth, and women. 

Local NGOs and grassroots initiatives

Smaller local and grassroots initiatives are those that often need more support than the larger NGOs. There are a lot of really great small initiatives around that could use extra hands.

• Human Rights Defenders – A locally led organisation supporting local grassroots human rights activities, focused on deep learning about the Palestinian context and greassroots nonviolent action. 
• Al Haq Human Rights organisation – An internationally known Palestinian human rights organisation in operation since the 1980s. 
• Center for Jewish Nonviolence – An organisation offering support to local Palestinian communities via protective presence initiatives during olive harvests, or in day-to-day presence at regional villages in high need areas. 

International humanitarian organizations

Another option might be to volunteer with a larger international humanitarian organisation. These tend ot have more structured programs that run at certain times, and with a more competitive application process. Some that you could approach might be:

• Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) – a global organisation providing medical and health support for people in need. 
• International Committee of the Red Cross – the world’s bigegst humantarian organisation, the ICRC offers support across a range of thematic areas.
• United Nations Volunteers – United Nations Volunteers are skilled professionals who give their time either online or in-person to different UN agencies and country missions. 

List of Voluntary Work in Palestine in 2025-2026 Programs

Here is a short overview, with the appropriate links for more information, of the programs Engage in Palestine offers to those interested in volunteering in Palestine.

1. Volunteer In The West Bank, Palestine

2. Volunteer With Palestinian Children

3. Volunteer With Palestinian Refugees In The West Bank

4. Volunteer to Teach English In The West Bank

5. Music And Arts In The West Bank

Challenges and Considerations

Palestine is a beautiful, friendly, and welcoming place. It is also currently under military occupation, which presents some challenges to daily life and might be very different from what volunteers are used to. It is still safe and very possible to come to Palestine for a volunteering program, but here are some of the things you might want to keep in mind before booking your time here!

Political and Social Context

The West Bank in Palestine has been under a military occupation since 1967. Now, the area is stplit intp three different parts: Area A, which makes up 18% of the territory and is governed by the Palestinian Authority, Area B which makes up 22% of the territory and is govered by both Israel and Palestine, and Area C, which makes up 60% of the territory and is govered by Israel. 

In practice, movement is incredibly restricted for Palestinians, even moving from city to city within Area A. Israel enforces checkpoints and gates at the entrances and exits to each Palestinian area, which they tend to close without warning. Sometimes, this can make a one-hour journey into eight hours, just waiting in traffic. International volunteers traveling within the West Bank may experience these long waits. 

Safety and security concerns

While day to day life in Palestinian cities is incredibly safe, there are some things to keep in mind when spending time in a coflict-affected area like the West Bank. The first is to ensure you carry your passport and visa with you at all times, in case you need to cross a checkpoint. In Hebron especially, where there are checkpoints between parts of Palestinian controlled H1 and Israel controlled H2, it is good to be prepared.

Travelling around the West Bank is a great way to see many beautiful places like Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jericho and Ramallah. However, there are some parts of the territory, like Jenin and Tulkarim in the north, that are currently experiencing bombardment from the Israeli military. It is best to check the news and talk with local people to know where is safe to travel to and where isn’t before you go on any weekend trips.  

Cultural sensitivities and adaptation

One thing to note about settling into life in Palestine is that it may be culturally quite different than what you’re used to at home. As a muslim-majority area, there are some things you might want to keep in mind, especially when deciding which clothes to bring. We recommend that, to be respectful to the local community, women and men wear long and loose clothing that covers arms, legs, and chest. In winter, this is just practical as it can be quite cold, but in summer it also helps to protect your skin from the hot sun. 

Also remember that physical displays of affectionbetween men and women is not appropriate in public. You may also find that some facilities, like gyms, have different times for men and women to use them. This is no different from some ‘women only’ gyms in the West. generally, we find that international people ho come to Palestine with an open mind will adapt very quickly to the way of life here. 

How to Apply?

Depending on the organisation you’re planning to volunteer with, applying for your chosen program could be really easy, or it could take some time. If you’ve never really applied for something like this before, the following guide should be a helpful step-by-step. 

Research Programs & Organizations

Because there are many volunteer organisations, selecting the right one is an important decision. It can be difficult to tell the reality of an experience from what you see online. So, how do you pick a good organisation? 

Our advice is to not only check the organisation’s website, but also whether they have an online presence elsewhere where you can verify the experiences of other volunteers. Engage in Palestine is registered with Go Overseas, a well-known organisation that helps people from around the world to find meaningful and fulfilling volunteer positions. We currently have a 4.85 (out of 5) rating from 852 reviews and have received over 20 community awards from 2019 onwards, including for 2024. 

Application Process

Check the application requirements for your chosen program. Some may require a CV, a motivation letter, or even an interview. It’s best to check the guidelines and be prepared to participate in the process. 

It’s really simple and easy to apply to volunteer with Engage in Palestine. Simply check our programs for the one you are most interested in, and email us Info@ecpalestine.org with the dates you would like to attend. You will be forwarded a short application form to fill out and return before you are accepted into the program. 

Funding and Financial Support

The next question you might be asking yourself is, how do I fund my volunteer experience? First, check the program fees from your chosen organization to make sure it falls within your budget. At Engage in Palestine, our program fees include secure accommodation, breakfast five days a week, three hours of Arabic lessons per week, and cultural trips around Hebron city. 

Bank account looking a little on the empty side? Fundraising is one way to help cover the costs of your chosen program. Crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe offer a platform for your friends and family to get involved in supporting your volunteer experience. Sharing your motivations for coming to Palestine, along with a link for people to donate, is an easy way to get support. 

Testimonials from Volunteers

Volunteering in Palestine is an incredibly enriching, rewarding experience that also helps you to make a significant social impact at the same time. Hear from a volunteer who spent time at Engage in Palestine in 2025:

“I spent 1 week with Engage in Palestine as part of their Human Rights program. I had some idea of what to expect before coming here, but I had never been to the region before, so I still had many questions. During my time in Hebron, the staff at Engage in Palestine were incredibly welcoming and helpful, and provided me with an experience I will never forget. 

Throughout the week, I had the chance to study Arabic, engage with the local community, and volunteer as a protective presence for villagers in the Masafar Yatta region, all while gaining a better understanding of the situation in the West Bank. I had the opportunity to experience Palestinian culture and truly felt welcomed by the local community. I always felt safe and would recommend this program to anyone considering it!”

Chris, 30, United States. 

Summary

So what are you waiting for? There are plenty of volunteer opporunities in Palestine just waiting for extra hands to help make a difference. 

Still not sure? Got some more questions? Engage in Palestine has welcomed over a thousand volunteers over the last decade, and we have plenty of experience in guiding internationals to have a great experience in Palestine. You can read more of our articles on travel, safety, and available programs on our website, or simply get in touch with our team at Info@ecpalestine.org to ask any questions you might have. 

We look forward to welcoming you to Palestine! 

Contact Us

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at:

Info@ecpalestine.org

WhatsApp: +972 599 479 880

Website: https://ecpalestine.org/

EC Website: https://excellencenter.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excellence.center

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ExcellenceCenter

Tags: International volunteering in Palestine, Palestine volunteer projects 2025–2026, Volunteer opportunities in Palestine 2026, Youth volunteer programs in Palestine