Mohammad Osama Abu Jom’a

Their life

Mohammad Osama Abu Jom’a, 23, was fatally shot by an off-duty Israeli Border Police officer on September 22, 2022, in Modi’in Illit, an illegal Israeli colony built on confiscated Palestinian land west of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. Israeli authorities claimed that Mohammad attacked Israeli settlers with a knife and pepper spray, injuring eight colonizers mildly before the officer shot him. Mohammad’s family disputed these allegations, stating that he was involved in a dispute with his employer at the colony and that no knife or weapon was involved. They condemned the shooting, asserting that the officer unnecessarily used lethal force.

On September 22, 2022, Mohammad Osama Abu Jom’a, aged 23, was killed by an off-duty Israeli Border Police officer in Modi’in Illit, an illegal Israeli settlement on Palestinian land west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. Israeli sources reported that Mohammad had attacked several settlers, stabbing two and using pepper spray on six others, which led to his fatal shooting. According to the Israeli officer involved, Mohammad tried to forcibly open the car door and stab the officer’s wife, prompting the officer to speed away and then shoot Mohammad when he continued running toward him. The police commissioner publicly commended the officer for his actions. However, Mohammad’s family strongly denied the claims, stating that he was employed at the colony and had a confrontation with his employer, during which pepper spray was used, but no knife or sharp object was involved. They criticized the use of lethal force, arguing that non-lethal means could have resolved the conflict. Mohammad hailed from at-Tour tow

How they died

He was fatally shot by an off-duty Israeli police officer

Mohammad Osama Abu Jom’a was fatally shot by an off-duty Israeli police officer in Modi’in Illit after an alleged altercation in which Israeli sources claim he attacked settlers with a knife and pepper spray. According to the officer’s account, Mohammad first lunged at a car, attempting to open its doors and assault the occupants. After the car sped away, the officer confronted Mohammad, who reportedly continued advancing toward him, prompting the officer to fire multiple rounds in self-defense. However, Mohammad’s family disputes these claims, stating there was no knife involved and that the incident stemmed from a workplace dispute followed by a scuffle involving pepper spray. They argue that the use of lethal force was unnecessary and that alternative methods could have defused the situation without bloodshed.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Mohammad Osama Abu Jom’a, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources