Interrogating the role of sociopolitical determinants of health in Palestine: A qualitative study with key informants

For decades, Palestinians have faced significant barriers to developing and accessing basic health services, leading to poor health outcomes. These issues are often characterized as mere ‘humanitarian issues,’ ignoring the broader sociopolitical context. This study aims to explore the discourse surrounding the structural and sociopolitical determinants shaping Palestinian health. We conducted in-depth interviews with experts (N = 15) on Palestine and/or regional health, coded transcripts via an inductive coding process in Dedoose software, and analyzed transcripts by identifying key patterns, developing themes and sub-themes, and collectively discussing their validity. We identified five main themes, which are: 1) tools of state violence that degrade Palestinian health; 2) health systems and barriers to care, such as movement restrictions; 3) the role of humanitarianism in Palestinian health, which hinders Palestinian sovereignty; 4) the temporalities of erasure throughout history and present; and 5) Palestinian resistance to elimination and erasure. This study underscores the importance of considering the historical and political factors that have shaped Palestinian health in future research, practice, and advocacy efforts.