Mai Affana

Their life

Dr. Mai Afaneh was a 29-year-old Palestinian doctor and mother from Abu Dis, a town southeast of occupied East Jerusalem. On June 16, 2021, she was shot and killed by Israeli forces while driving her car near the entrance to Hizma town, northeast of East Jerusalem. A graduate in mental health, Mai was a dedicated medical professional and the mother of an eight-year-old daughter. Reports indicate that she was navigating a road under construction and may have made a wrong turn when she was fatally shot. Despite Israeli claims of an attempted attack, no evidence has been presented to support that allegation, and forensic evidence contradicts it, showing she was inside her car when she was killed. Following her death, her body was withheld by Israeli authorities, prompting public protests and demands for her return. Mai’s killing has drawn condemnation and has become symbolic of the dangers Palestinians—especially women—face at military checkpoints and near occupied areas.

Dr. Mai Ziyad Afaneh was a 29-year-old Palestinian psychiatrist and mother of one child, an eight-year-old daughter. She lived in Abu Dis, a Palestinian town southeast of occupied East Jerusalem. On the morning of June 16, 2021, Mai was driving near Hizma town, northeast of Jerusalem, when Israeli soldiers opened fire at her vehicle, killing her. Local eyewitnesses and reports suggest that she had mistakenly entered a road under construction and was attempting to turn her car around when she was shot.

Israeli forces claimed that she tried to ram soldiers with her car and exited the vehicle holding a knife. However, this narrative was not supported by video footage or forensic reports, which indicate that Mai was still inside her car when she was fatally shot. The lack of evidence and the nature of the incident raised serious questions and accusations of excessive and unlawful use of force by the Israeli military.

Her killing triggered widespread grief and protests in her hometown and beyond. On July 16, 2021, a peaceful demonstration was held in Abu Dis, marking one month since her death and demanding the release of her body, which had been withheld by the Israeli authorities. As a medical professional and a young mother, Mai Afaneh’s death highlighted the risks faced by Palestinians—especially women—in areas under military control and underscored broader concerns over Israel's use of lethal force and the ongoing occupation.

How they died

Shot and killed by Israeli soldiers while inside her car near Hizma, northeast of Jerusalem

Dr. Mai Afaneh was fatally shot by Israeli forces on June 16, 2021, while driving her vehicle near the entrance of Hizma town. She had mistakenly taken a road under construction and was reportedly attempting to turn around when Israeli soldiers opened fire. The army later claimed that Mai attempted a car-ramming attack and exited her vehicle with a knife, but forensic evidence and eyewitness accounts contradicted this claim, showing she was still in her car at the time she was killed. No video or credible proof was ever released to support the military’s justification. Her death is considered by many as a case of extrajudicial killing, highlighting Israel's pattern of using lethal force without due process.

A plea from the family

Although Dr. Mai Afaneh’s immediate family has not issued a widely published formal plea, their anguish was evident in the public response to her killing. One month after her death, the family and community held a peaceful protest in Abu Dis, demanding that Israeli authorities return her body. The protest reflected the family’s deep grief and their appeal for dignity, justice, and accountability for Mai’s killing. The continued withholding of her body added to their suffering and was condemned by human rights advocates.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Mai Affana, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources