Abdul-Rahman Jamal Qassem

Their life

Abdul-Rahman Jamal Qassem was a 22-year-old Palestinian from the al-Jalazoun refugee camp, located north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. He had been living in Jifna, a nearby town. Like many young men in the refugee camps, he grew up amid military occupation, restricted movement, and economic hardship. His name was added to a growing list of young Palestinians whose lives ended in confrontations with Israeli soldiers, often in or near religious or politically charged locations like Al-Aqsa Mosque. His killing drew attention not only for its location—at one of the gates to Islam’s third holiest site—but also for the disturbing footage showing his execution-style shooting after he was already incapacitated.

Abdul-Rahman Jamal Qassem was born in 2000 and raised in the al-Jalazoun refugee camp, one of the most densely populated and impoverished camps in the central West Bank. The camp has long been subjected to regular Israeli military incursions and heavy surveillance. Like many of his peers, Abdul-Rahman grew up facing the daily realities of life under occupation—checkpoints, arrests, curfews, and violence. He later moved to Jifna, a village not far from the camp, where he attempted to build a life outside the crowded confines of Jalazoun. At the time of his death, Abdul-Rahman was 22—just entering adulthood in a place where opportunities are scarce and military confrontation is a daily risk. His exact motivations on the day of the incident are not publicly confirmed, but the video footage of his death raised serious concerns about the use of excessive and extrajudicial force by Israeli police.

How they died

Abdul-Rahman Jamal Qassem died of gunshot wounds inflicted by Israeli soldiers after allegedly stabbing two of them near Bab al-Qattanin in Jerusalem.

While initial reports claimed Abdul-Rahman had stabbed two soldiers, the circumstances of his death have raised serious questions. Surveillance footage from the area shows that after he was shot and incapacitated, he lay wounded and posed no immediate danger. Despite this, a soldier fired another close-range, fatal shot at him while he was motionless on the ground—indicating a likely extrajudicial killing. Human rights organizations and observers have repeatedly criticized Israel’s pattern of using lethal force even when suspects are no longer a threat. The manner of Abdul-Rahman’s killing fits this disturbing trend and may constitute a violation of international law.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Abdul-Rahman Jamal Qassem, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources