Fares Sharhabeel Abu Samra

Their life

Fares Sharhabeel Abu Samra was a 14-year-old Palestinian boy from Qalqilia, in the northwestern West Bank. He was killed on July 26, 2023, after Israeli forces shot him in the head with live ammunition during a military raid in the Al-Naqqar neighborhood of his hometown. He was critically wounded and later pronounced dead at Qalqilia Governmental Hospital. His killing sparked widespread grief and condemnation, highlighting the continued targeting of children amid Israeli military operations in occupied Palestinian territories.

Fares Sharhabeel Abu Samra was a young Palestinian child from the city of Qalqilia, located near the Green Line in the northwestern West Bank. Like many children in occupied Palestine, Fares grew up in a politically charged and militarized environment, where daily life was shaped by checkpoints, military incursions, and the constant presence of Israeli forces. Despite his young age, Fares had already witnessed much of the hardship endured by his community under occupation.

On July 26, 2023, the Israeli army conducted a raid into Al-Naqqar neighborhood, in the western part of Qalqilia. The operation sparked protests, primarily by local Palestinian youths reacting to the invasion of their neighborhood. In response to the demonstrations, Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and concussion grenades, not only at protesters but also toward residential areas.

Fares was among the civilians present during the raid. He was struck in the head with live ammunition, leaving him critically wounded. He was rushed to Qalqilia Governmental Hospital, but the severity of the injury was too great. Doctors pronounced him dead shortly after arrival.

Fares became one of the dozens of Palestinian children killed in 2023 as a result of Israeli military actions in the West Bank. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, he was among 37 children killed that year by Israeli forces. His death stands as yet another tragic example of the growing toll on Palestinian civilians—particularly youth—amid Israel's intensifying military operations across the occupied territories.

Though little personal information is publicly available about his daily life, Fares's killing drew mourning across his community and beyond. For many, his death was not just a personal loss but a symbol of the ongoing vulnerability of Palestinian children and the failure of the international community to provide protection or accountability. His name now joins a long list of children lost to the conflict—victims of a reality in which even youth are not spared the violence of occupation.

How they died

Shot in the head with live ammunition fired by Israeli forces

He was Shot in the head with live ammunition fired by Israeli forces during a military raid and ensuing protest.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Fares Sharhabeel Abu Samra, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources