'He Heard the Screams and Ran': Palestinian Youth Footballer, 17, Dies of His Wounds
Fadi al-Nassan, a member of Palestine's national youth team, was shot by Israeli forces during a settler attack on al-Mughayyir and died a week later
A 17-year-old Palestinian footballer has died of wounds sustained during an Israeli settler assault on the village of al-Mughayyir in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials and family members said on Saturday.
Fadi Hamdallah al-Nassan died a week after he was shot during the July 11 attack. He played for Al-Mughayyir Club and was also a member of Palestine’s national youth football team. Mourners in black gathered at the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah before carrying his body to his village, where he was laid to rest.
Shot during a settler attack
The Palestine Football Association said Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Nassan as settlers were attacking al-Mughayyir. Struck in the thigh, the teenager underwent an amputation in an effort to save his life, but later died of his injuries, according to the association. The Israeli military had not responded to a request for comment from AFP by the time of publication.
His father, Hamdallah al-Nassan, described his son’s love of the game and said the boy had rushed toward the scene after hearing residents calling for help. “He loved football,” he told AFP. When the settlers attacked, he said, his son heard the screams of women and girls, went to where the attack was taking place, and was killed.
Others wounded
The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that two other Palestinians were struck by rubber-coated bullets fired by Israeli forces during the assault, and that a 10-year-old boy was wounded in the head by a stun grenade.
Violence by Israeli settlers and occupation forces has intensified across the West Bank since the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023, with the United Nations documenting a sharp rise in settler attacks on Palestinian communities. At least 1,088 Palestinians, including civilians and resistance fighters, have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the occupied West Bank since October 2023, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian Health Ministry figures.
Reference: Al-Mayadeen