Abdullah Tayseer Mousa Srour
Abdullah Srour was fatally shot by Israeli police during a construction site raid in Ashkelon after an alleged altercation over identification.
Abdullah Tayseer Mousa Srour died from gunshot wounds inflicted by Israeli police officers during a raid at a construction site in Ashkelon (Asqalan). According to eyewitness accounts, he was shot after allegedly refusing to present identification. Israeli police claimed that Abdullah “behaved suspiciously,” was armed with a knife, and stabbed one officer, causing a minor injury. In response, the officers opened fire, fatally shooting him. No independent investigation or video evidence confirming the stabbing was cited in public reports. Palestinian labor representatives strongly disputed the Israeli narrative, framing the killing as an extrajudicial execution of an unarmed laborer. The killing reflects ongoing systemic violence faced by undocumented Palestinian workers in Israel, many of whom are forced to work without permits due to severe restrictions and economic hardship under occupation.
Biography
Abdullah Tayseer Mousa Srour was a 41-year-old Palestinian worker from Hebron, in the southern occupied West Bank, who also held Jordanian citizenship. For the past four years, Abdullah split his time between Amman, Jordan, where he sold car parts and repaired vehicles, and the occupied Palestinian territories, where he worked in construction to support his wife and young son. On April 12, 2022, Israeli police fatally shot him at a construction site in Asqalan (Ashkelon), a city in southern Israel, during a raid aimed at locating undocumented Palestinian workers. Eyewitnesses stated that the police shot Abdullah after he reportedly refused to show his ID card. Israeli authorities later claimed he had a knife and stabbed an officer, though his family insisted he had no political affiliations and was only working to support his family. His death drew sharp condemnation from Palestinian labor officials, who cited it as part of a broader pattern of abuse and violence toward Palestinian workers.
Abdullah Tayseer Mousa Srour was a 41-year-old Palestinian man from Hebron, in the southern West Bank. He also held Jordanian citizenship and had been living primarily in Amman, where he worked in auto repair and car parts sales. A skilled electrician and mechanic, Abdullah frequently returned to the occupied Palestinian territories to work in construction, particularly in Israel, where wages were higher. Like many Palestinians, he faced barriers to permanent residency or family reunification due to Israeli policy, forcing him to travel regularly between borders in order to support his wife and young son.
On April 12, 2022, during one of his work trips, Abdullah was present at a construction site in Ashkelon when Israeli police raided the area, reportedly to search for undocumented Palestinian laborers. According to eyewitnesses, Abdullah was shot after a dispute involving his identification card. The Israeli police claimed that he had a knife and stabbed an officer, leading to their use of lethal force. His family and Palestinian labor officials disputed this version of events, arguing that he was unarmed, posed no threat, and was executed without due process.
Following the incident, Israeli Public Security Minister Omer Barlev praised the officer who shot Abdullah, framing the event as a counter-terrorism success. In contrast, Palestinian organizations and human rights defenders condemned the killing as part of a broader system of state violence against vulnerable Palestinian workers, who often labor without permits due to the severe restrictions imposed under Israeli occupation.
Abdullah's death brought sorrow to both his family and fellow laborers, many of whom knew the risks of working in Israeli cities without legal protections. His story sheds light on the daily struggles faced by Palestinian workers caught between occupation policies and economic necessity.
Additional Information
Sources & References
Abdullah Tayseer Mousa Srour, 41, was killed by Israeli police officers after they invaded a construction site, looking for people with no entry or work permits, in Asqalan (Ashkelon) city. Eyewitnesses said the Police invaded the construction site to look for Palestinian workers who have no permits and shot one after he reportedly refused to show him his ID card. Abdullah worked in Amman – Jordan, selling car parts and fixing cars, and used to come to Palestine to work in construction for a few months of the year for the last four years.1 israelpalestinetimeline.org Open source