Mohammad Mahmoud Kiwan

Their life

Mohammad Mahmoud Kiwan was a 17-year-old Palestinian from Umm al-Fahm, a Palestinian town in northern Israel. He was a high school student who participated in a peaceful protest on May 12, 2021, against the forced evictions of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem. During the protest, Israeli police shot him in the head with a live bullet. He was rushed to Rambam Hospital in Haifa, where he remained in a coma for several days before succumbing to his injuries on May 19, 2021. His death was mourned widely, particularly among Palestinian citizens of Israel, as another young life lost in the struggle for justice and dignity.

Mohammad Mahmoud Kiwan, just 17 years old, was a young Palestinian from Umm al-Fahm, a predominantly Palestinian city in northern Israel. Like many youth his age, Mohammad was passionate about justice and the rights of his people. On May 12, 2021, he joined a peaceful demonstration protesting the Israeli government’s eviction of Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem — a flashpoint in the wider Palestinian struggle for housing rights and sovereignty.

During the protest, Israeli police forces opened fire with live ammunition. Mohammad was shot in the head, according to his family and witnesses. He was immediately rushed to Rambam Hospital in Haifa, where doctors fought to save his life. He was placed in the intensive care unit in a coma, but after several days of no improvement, his condition worsened. On May 19, 2021, he was pronounced dead by hospital staff.

Mohammad’s tragic death became a symbol for many Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories — a young person silenced for exercising his right to protest. His story was widely shared on social media and in local media as an example of the disproportionate use of force by Israeli police against Palestinian citizens of Israel.

How they died

Gunshot wound to the head by Israeli police.

During a peaceful protest on May 12, 2021, in Umm al-Fahm, Israeli police shot Mohammad Mahmoud Kiwan in the head with live ammunition. He was taken to Rambam Hospital in Haifa in critical condition and remained in a coma for nearly a week. Despite intensive medical efforts, his neurological condition deteriorated, and he died on May 19, 2021.

A plea from the family

Mohammad’s family expressed deep sorrow and outrage after his death. His relatives shared: “He was just a child — attending a peaceful protest. He didn’t throw stones or carry weapons. He raised his voice for justice and was shot in the head.” The family, devastated by the loss, called for an investigation and accountability for the shooting of an unarmed teenager. “Our son didn’t deserve to die. He had dreams, a future ahead of him. We will never be the same.” His death sparked grief across Palestinian communities inside Israel, where many viewed the killing as another stark example of the double standards and discrimination faced by Palestinian citizens under Israeli law enforcement.

Why we remember them

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

References & sources