Sharif Khaled Salman

Their life

Sharif Khaled Salman was a 37-year-old Palestinian from Marda village, north of Salfit in the central West Bank. A husband and father, he was known as a family man who cared deeply for his wife and three daughters, with another child on the way. On May 14, 2021, as Israeli forces invaded his village, he was not part of the protests but was standing outside his home when soldiers shot and killed him. His death came during a widespread Israeli crackdown across the West Bank, in which nine Palestinians were killed and hundreds injured.

Born and raised in Marda village, north of Salfit, Sharif Khaled Salman lived a quiet life centered around his family. At 37 years old, he was married and the father of three daughters, with his wife pregnant at the time of his death. On the morning of May 14, 2021, he shared coffee with his mother before Israeli forces stormed their village. While protests erupted in response to the military incursion, Sharif himself did not take part. Instead, he remained near his home, trying to ensure the safety of his family and children, as his mother later recounted. Despite not being involved in the clashes, Sharif was shot by invading soldiers outside his home. His sudden killing devastated his family and shocked his community, leaving behind a grieving mother, a widow, and children who would grow up without their father. His story became one of many tragic losses during that single day of violence across the West Bank, which saw nine Palestinians killed and over 500 injured amid Israeli assaults and settler attacks.

How they died

Sharif Khaled Salman was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers outside his home in Marda village on May 14, 2021.

On May 14, 2021, Israeli army jeeps stormed Marda village in the Salfit governorate, leading to protests from local residents. Although Sharif Khaled Salman was not part of the demonstrations, he was standing outside his home near the main street of the village when soldiers opened fire. He was struck by live ammunition and fatally wounded. His mother, who was inside the home, later described how she had just shared a quiet moment with her son over coffee before gunfire erupted, taking his life. His death highlights the indiscriminate use of lethal force by Israeli forces, who fired not only at protesters but also at bystanders in residential areas.

Why we remember them

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

References & sources