Visual Analysis Portfolio

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PORTFOLIO As h ra f Ha m d a n CRA APPLICATION

Birzeit University BSc Architectural Engineering

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A s h ra f

S a m e h

H a m d a n architect researcher

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exp erience

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Researcher and Coordinator Al-Haq Organization | Ramallah Jan. 2022 - Present

Exhibition/Curator “They Are Shooting at Our Shadows” University of California Santa Cruz

Touring Stolen Land: How Airbnb Fuels Illegal Settlements Lead Researcher 2024 12 29

Fellow Researcher Sakiya - Art Science Agriculture May 2021 - April 2022

Artistic Research/Artist “The School of Intrusions” Onassis Air - Athens

The Killing of Issa Al-Qadi Research Coordinator 2024 11 13

Curatorial Researcher The Palestinian Museum | Birzeit Feb. 2021 - Jan. 2022

Spatial Intervention “Co-existence through times of crisis research study” Temporary Art Forum - Beirut

Al-Tabaeen School Attack Lead Researcher 2024 08 10

Research Fellow Forensic Architecture - Goldsmiths University | London Dec. 2024 - Present

proje cts

investigations

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e ducation Birzeit University - Birzeit B.Eng. in Architectural Engineering, Concentration in Architectural Design

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01 Je n i n 2002

02 K h u d ai r warehouse fire

03 A l - Ha q Raid

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W B R ai d s Cartography

A l -Tab a e e n School

G ra d u a t i o n Project

01 Je n i n 2 0 0 2 , d e f e n s i v e shield to summer camps

Aerial Image 2002 Source: GeoMolg.p

Hawasheen Neighbourhood

Art Installation | They Are Shooting At Our Shadows Exhibition One night, while working in the media room at Al-Haq, I discovered a VHS tape labeled «2002.»

I spent considerable time searching for a VHS player, and when I finally found one, I managed to play the video.

The footage showed Al-Haq field researchers in Jenin in 2002, right after the Israeli Operation Defensive Shield campaign. This was during a period when Jenin camp and city were experiencing daily raids. The similarities between the destruction patterns I witnessed firsthand in 2023 and what the footage showed were striking.

In my work, I juxtaposed maps from these two distant time periods and successfully geolocated footage taken on VHS cameras, revealing consistent patterns of destruction in the camp across the years.

Image from inside Al-Sadee House Located in the Hawasheen Neighbourhood

Source: Al-Haq

The footage reveals how the «Walking Through The Walls» tactic was used extensively during this operation. The different episodes of destruction aimed at spatial re-ordering, similar to the new iterations we see today.

TACTIC S straw widow bulldozing detonating pressure cooker

2002 | 52

No. 01322

The main yard of Jenin camp, 2002.

Familiar Rubble I analyzed 20 minutes of digitized footage from analogue sources, examining frames where destruction was visible. I then geolocated these frames on a map and categorized them into three distinct clusters of destruction. To contextualize these findings, I cross-referenced the identified patterns with historical aerial imagery, tracking changes between 2003 and 2023. The destruction patterns revealed in the footage closely align with those documented through OSINT and on-theground investigations in Jenin in July 2023.

02 The Shelling of K h u d a i r Wa re h o u s e : C h e m i c a l Wa r f a re b y In d i re c t M e a n s

Located in Beit Lahiya - Gaza

Research Map Gathering source materials Reconstructing 3d model CCTV Synchroization with other videos Establishing time of the attack Mapping the fire Plume analysis, and chemical assessment

May 15 2023 On May 2021 ,15, during Israel’s military assault on Gaza, the Khudair Pharmaceuticals and Agricultural Tools Company in Beit Lahiya was bombed. The attack ignited hundreds of tons of toxic pesticides, fertilizers, and chemicals, spreading a toxic cloud over northern Gaza.

With my colleague we reconstructed the attack using drone footage, satellite imagery, CCTV recordings, and 3D modeling. Our investigation determined the munitions used, fire timeline, and toxic exposure area, revealing that over 50 tonnes of hazardous chemicals burned, endangering thousands of residents.

Our findings, cited in Al-Haq’s legal report, concluded that this targeted destruction of Gaza’s agricultural infrastructure constitutes a war crime, tantamount to chemical warfare, violating international law.

Digital model Shadow analysis after the distortion in CCTV was coorected.

Post Incident Firefighters Source: Al-Mezan

To reconstruct a destroyed building, we first gathered pre-incident visual materials and obtained on-site measurements of surviving elements as reference points. Using shadow analysis on incident footage within the model, we determined the fire’s start time with a -10 minute margin of error.

Shadow Analysis Studies

Range Starts

Range Ends

Time 15:30 (3+GMT)

Time 18:30 (3+GMT) CAM 01

By pinpointing the time of the attack to around 17:30 using a selected frame from the CCTV footage, we synchronized the videos to reconstruct the precise sequence of projectile impacts on the warehouse. This allowed us to map the fire’s spread and analyze its progression with greater accuracy.

CAM 02

warehouse top view Cone of vision for CAM01, CAM02

Proj e ctile Traj e ct or y An aly sis

Mapping th e fire

The projectile splits midair into four canisters.

Through OSINT analysis, we identified it as a 155mm HC smoke artillery shell, model M150, manufactured by Elbit Systems.

owner testimony INTERVIEW NOTES

according to the owner Meeting with one of the of the warehouse, Khudair owners: Haitham Khudair. the location limiting theLimiting location of of the camera to this circle. the camera to the area within the circle.

Image match CAM02 T1

ignite

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The sound of munition splitting into 4 canisters

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The sound of the munition hitting the ground

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Sound of exploding artillery in the sky

T5

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Footage ends without the sound of impact

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pla

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The munition struck the warehouse floor at R1 and T1, both areas containing highly flammable piles of plastic.

Fire spread map Geolocation process of the moment smoke munition were fired at the vicinity of the warehouse.

The direction these projectiles were fired from is North - East.

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Footage CAM07 Source: Al-Haq

T h e R a i d o n A l - Ha q O f f i c e s : 1 8 Au g u s t 2022 August 18 2022

Image shows a military truck transporting metal sheets to seal the main entrance of the offices.

On August 2022 ,18, the Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF) raided and vandalized the offices of Al-Haq and six other Palestinian human rights organizations in Ramallah. This followed Israel’s 2021 designation of these groups as “terrorist organizations” to suppress Palestinian civil society.

At 3:00 a.m., at least sixteen IOF soldiers arrived in a military convoy, blocking Rukab Street before forcibly entering Al-Haq’s office. CCTV footage, analyzed shows soldiers searching documents, vandalizing the premises, and taking trophy photos. Before leaving, they sealed the office with a welded metal sheet and a military order banning the organization.

aerial view, cone of vision Located in ramallah rukab st.

We obtained CCTV footage from cameras inside the premises and from nearby shops. By synchronizing these recordings, we reconstructed a detailed timeline of the events that unfolded over two hours.

Mapping soldiers movement IOF soldiers inside Al-Haq offices

03:26:52

03:22:40 CCTV CAM 01

CCTV CAM 02

CCTV CAM 03

breaking in

03:29:32

CCTV CAM 01

CCTV CAM 02

CCTV CAM 03

surveying reception and corridors

03:31:45 CCTV CAM 01

CCTV CAM 01

CCTV CAM 02

CCTV CAM 03

breaking into the server room

03:32:35

CCTV CAM 02

CCTV CAM 03

breaking into admin and finance

03:39:16

CCTV CAM 01

CCTV CAM 02

CCTV CAM 03

engineering soldiers leaving the office

CCTV CAM 01

CCTV CAM 02

CCTV CAM 03

soldiers take pictures of the space

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Damaj Family House aperture hole

Is ra e l ’s D e s t r u c t i v e At t a c k s Infiltrating the Palestinian Urban Fabric in Jenin and Nablus | 2023 Israel has intensified military raids in the occupied West Bank since early 2022, targeting Jenin and Nablus to suppress Palestinian resistance.

In 2022 alone, 192 Palestinians, including 44 children, were killed. This project is an interactive platform documenting Israeli attacks in early 2023, exposing IOF tactics like undercover infiltration, home takeovers, and the «Pressure Cooker» technique. The January 26 attack on Jenin killed ten Palestinians and saw homes turned into military bases. The February 22 raid on Nablus killed ten more, including a child and elderly civilians, using heavy weaponry and containment measures. Journalists were injured, and evidence points to extrajudicial killings and collective punishment, violating international law. These attacks reflect Israel’s broader settler-colonial and apartheid policies against Palestinians.

Image shows the placement of the Israeli sniper inside a Palestinian home in the Damaj neighbourhood in Jenin refugee camp.

Statiyeh Family House Located in the western side of Jenin refugee camp.

Israeli occupation soldiers establish defensive positions inside Palestinian houses by inverting the internal layout of these homes for military purposes, such as flipping the sofas for snipers prone positioning and drilling holes in the external walls to fire from.

Jenin - Janu ar y 26 2023 The IOF attacked The Jurat AlDahab area in the middle of Jenin refugee camp. During this attack the IOF completely surrounded a house that belongs to the Sabbagh family and fired anti structure missles effectively killing everyone inside the house. This is a widely used Israeli military tactic called: The Pressure Cooker

The wilful killing of Majidah Obaid

Al-Sabbagh House | Pressure Cooker Tactic The IOF strategically utlizes homes close to the targeted building in blue as military outposts in red to surround the target.

Aftermath - Sabbagh house

Anti structure - hand held missiles are used to target the structure killing everyone inside.

By around 9:15 am, Majida Obaid, a -61year-old grandmother, was fatally shot in the neck and chest, while looking out of the window of her fourth-floor apartment. The apartment is located 60 meters away from the position of IOF marksmen in Abu Al-Haija family home. The analysis here established a clear line of sight between the window where the Israeli sniper was positioned during the attack and the balcony of the Obaid family to the south.

Nablus - Febr u ar y 2023 On this day, the Israeli occupying forces (IOF) launched a four-hour military assault on the old city of Nablus, resulting in the deaths of ten Palestinians, injuring approximately one hundred others, and causing partial destruction to a civilian structure.

The IOF deployed military vehicles strategically to block all access points to the targeted neighbourhoods, establishing a complete blockade that prevented entry and exit. During the attack, the IOF used armoured vehicles in paired formations to cordon off the area, restrict movement, and isolate the targeted neighbourhoods, suppressing any potential resistance from local residents and protesters.

The targeted building in this attack

360 degree containment The Old City of Nablus 2023

A close up of the targeted area

IOF Military Vehicles

Nablus - Febr u ar y 2023 At 11:20 a.m., -24year-old Mohammad Anbusi and -22year-old Jasir Qan’eer were fatally shot in the Krum Ashur area of Ras AlEin neighbourhood, south of the old city. Positioned approximately 80 metres away, an Israeli Wolf armoured vehicle opened fire; CCTV footage reveals Mohammad was initially shot in the lower body while setting off fireworks, prompting Jasir to rush to his aid. As they fled, the IOF fired multiple rounds, with injuries concentrated in the upper body, suggesting intent to kill.

METERS 02# FOOTAGE

80.67

01# FOOTAGE

01# FOOTAGE

02# FOOTAGE

The analysis shows how Anbusi and Qaneer were denied medical assistance.

CCTV footage reveals that an ambulance was allowed to enter the street where the incident occured around an hour later.

Out ward - Inwa rd lo oking

Jenin Camp - July 2023 On July 03 2023, the IOF launched an unprecedented attack on Jenin refugee camp, devastating its infrastructure. Military bulldozers destroyed roads, along with water, electricity, and waste systems, crippling essential services. This violence unfolded at multiple scales—starting within homes, extending through neighborhoods, and impacting Jenin city as a whole. In the image below, the Abu Sariya family home, located on the camp’s western side, was forcibly transformed into a detention and interrogation site.

A house repurposed for on-site detainment.

Exterior shot - Abu Sariya

Buildings raided Roads destroyed Palestinians killed Jenin Refugee Camp Map

Th e Kill ing o f Moh amm a d Tamimi June 01 2023

Nabi Saleh Village Near Ramallah

I conducted an analysis and mapping of the killing of two-year-old Muhammad Al-Tamimi, who was shot by Israeli forces on June 01 2023, while sitting in a car with his father in Nabi Saleh. My analysis spatially reconstructs the incident, illustrating the trajectory of gunfire, military position. Despite Israeli claims of misidentification, the case underscores systematic violence against Palestinians. Muhammad succumbed to his injuries on June 5, marking the 20th Palestinian child killed in the West Bank that year. This mapping was shared with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM).

Bullet marks near the incident location

Neighbour02

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Map 01 North Gaza

A l -Ta b a e e n S c h o o l At t a c k : Is ra e l’s D e l i b e ra t e Ta r g e t i n g of Gaza School Shelter August 2024

The location of Al-Tabaeen school in Al-Daraj Neighbourhood.

The Israeli occupying forces (IOF) attacked the Al-Tabaeen School and mosque in Gaza, killing over 100 displaced Palestinians during Fajr prayer. This investigation found no evidence supporting Israeli claims of military activity at the site. The use of GBU39- bombs in a densely populated area highlights a deliberate targeting of civilians, violating international humanitarian law principles of distinction and proportionality.

The Al-Tabaeen School is located in the AlDaraj area, around 500 metres from the Sahaba Medical Complex and 1.5 kilometres from Al-Ahli Arab Hospital. In addition to the four-storey school building with an internal courtyard, there is a two-storey mosque on the eastern side of the courtyard, with the ground floor for men and the first floor for women.

aerial view, school & mosque The Mosque

The IOF claimed on «X» that around 20 members of Palestinian armed groups “operated from” the compound of AlTabaeen School, alleging that it was used as “an active compound” to carry out attacks against the IOF.

Located in al-daraj north gaza

Two GBU39- bombs, each weighing approximately 100 kilograms and causing a destructive area with a lethal radius of 15-10 metres. The attack occurred during Fajr prayer, when the mosque would have been crowded. The use of these bombs, with their wide destructive radius on a building approximately 100 square metres per floor, indicates that the IOF knowingly targeted and harmed everyone inside the mosque, without distinction, further supported by the fact of Israel’s deliberate targeting of an area known to be sheltering displaced Palestinians.

Identifying the GBU39- through remnants found on site by Al-Haq field researchers.

06 G ra d u a t i o n P r o j e c t : In f ra s t r u c t u re a s Ur b a n C o m m o n s

Map 01 Anata Jerusalem

June 2019 Anata, a Palestinian village northeast of Jerusalem, has transformed into an unregulated urban sprawl following its separation from the city by Israel’s apartheid wall in 2002. Lying within Jerusalem’s municipal boundaries yet outside Israeli governance, Anata exemplifies the phenomenon of “Post-Oslo Camps,” where informal urbanization occurs in a colonial void. The lack of formal infrastructure has created a fragmented, consumer-driven society where informal transportation, waste management, and unregulated construction dominate. Residents navigate daily life through adaptive, low-tech systems, turning waste into biofuel and forming invisible networks of survival. My research investigates how micro-infrastructural interventions can generate new urban commons, fostering social and cultural reorganization beyond colonial control and neoliberal market forces. By documenting everyday practices and alternative spatial flows, I aim to design infrastructure that not only resists Israeli subjugation but also addresses global economic precarity, offering self-sustaining models of urban resilience within Anata’s evolving landscape.

Axonometric view, the buildings, the streets, and the wall

Anata is bordered to the north by an Israeli bypass road and to the south by the separation wall, creating a space where neither Israeli authorities nor the Palestinian Authority exert effective governance. This absence has left the area in a state of limbo, where infrastructure and services remain largely unregulated, and residents navigate daily life through informal systems.

TECHNICAL SEQUENCES

SYSTEM DYNAMICS

KITCHEN UNIT

UNDERGROUND TANKS

SEPTIC TANK

WASTE TO BIOFUEL SYSTEM

This spatial fragmentation has led to an urban reality shaped by improvisation rather than planning, where essential services such as waste management, transportation, and water distribution operate through unofficial, often community-driven networks.

SEPTIC TANK

BANKER

BUBBLING BED GASIFIER

SCRUBBING TOWERS TRANSIT SYSTEM

My research examines how micro-infrastructural interventions can transform ACTIVITIES these informal systems into structured urban commons— spaces and mechanisms that foster collective resilience. By mapping everyday practices, from repurposing waste into biofuel to the creation of shared transportation routes, I seek to develop infrastructure that is both adaptive to the colonial condition and independent of global economic precarity.

Prototyping daily practices

Exterior shot - Macro Unit

Prot ot yp e s

Prototype No. 023

Prototype No. 017

Adaptable stage with public non formal transpotation system unit.

Playground, that gathers biofuel in a safe framework.