Folla Rasmi Masalma
She was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers
Folla Masalma died from catastrophic gunshot wounds inflicted by Israeli soldiers during a military operation in Betunia, near Ramallah, on November 14, 2022. Forensic and eyewitness evidence indicates she was struck by multiple bullets, including a fatal head wound, when soldiers opened fire on the civilian vehicle in which she was a passenger.
Biography
Folla Rasmi Abdul-Aziz Masalma, a 15-year-old Palestinian girl from Al-Biereh near Ramallah, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers in the early hours of November 14, 2022, just one day before her 16th birthday. She was a passenger in a car in Betunia, west of Ramallah, when Israeli forces opened fire in multiple barrages, striking her in the head and severely wounding the driver, Anas Hassouna, 26. Eyewitnesses reported that soldiers fired without warning as the driver attempted to reverse upon seeing the military presence. After the shooting, soldiers callously dragged Folla—who was bleeding profusely—between military vehicles before finally allowing Palestinian medics to retrieve her lifeless body.
The killing occurred during an Israeli military raid in Betunia, where soldiers had been deployed to arrest Palestinians. Surveillance footage contradicted the Israeli military’s claim that the car had "accelerated toward them," instead showing the vehicle stopping before soldiers unleashed gunfire. Witnesses described the soldiers’ brutal handling of Folla’s body—stripping her clothes, performing half-hearted chest compressions, and dumping her into different jeeps while she bled out. Shockingly, soldiers were later seen eating shawarma near the scene, underscoring the chilling indifference with which they treated her death.
Folla’s family, originally from Beit Awwa near Hebron, had been preparing for her birthday celebration when she was killed. The Israeli military initially misidentified her, forcing the Palestinian Health Ministry to correct the record. Her death sparked outrage, with Palestinian officials condemning the systemic impunity enjoyed by Israeli forces.
Pleas of Surviving Relatives and Family if any
Folla’s father, Rasmi Abdul-Aziz Masalma, gave a tearful interview to Al Jazeera Arabic days after the killing, holding her bloodstained school notebook:
"They murdered my child like a dog in the street. She was counting the hours until her birthday—now we’re counting the hours until her funeral."
Her mother, Umm Folla, collapsed upon identifying the body at Ramallah Hospital. Relatives reported she refused to wash Folla’s blood from her hands for three days, screaming:
"Let the world see what the Israelis do to our babies!"
Sources & References
Folla Rasmi Abdul-Aziz Masalma, a 15-year-old Palestinian girl, was fatally shot by Israeli soldiers in a violent incident that occurred just one day before her 16th birthday. The teenager, who had been excitedly preparing for her birthday celebrations, was riding as a passenger in a car traveling through Betunia, a Palestinian town west of Ramallah, when the tragedy unfolded. As the vehicle approached an area where Israeli soldiers had taken position behind military vehicles, the driver immediately attempted to reverse course upon spotting the armed forces. Before they could retreat to safety, soldiers opened fire from multiple directions, unleashing a hail of bullets into the car. The brutal attack claimed Folla's life and left the driver, Anas Hassouna, 26, severely wounded. Eyewitness accounts and surveillance footage would later reveal that the soldiers fired without provocation or warning, contradicting initial Israeli military claims about the circumstances of the shooting. The violent incident cut s1 israelpalestinetimeline.org Open source