Ghadir Anis Masalma
Ghadir Anis Masalma died after being deliberately rammed by a car driven by an Israeli settler, who fled the scene without offering help or calling for medical assistance.
On the afternoon of December 24, 2021, Ghadir and her husband were walking near the entrance of Sinjil, close to settler-only bypass Road 60, when a car driven by an Israeli settler struck her with force. According to her husband’s account, the settler did not swerve or brake, but intentionally hit her and then sped away. Ghadir died of massive impact injuries at the scene. Despite the proximity to an active settler road and the presence of nearby Israeli forces, no medical assistance was rendered, and no arrest or investigation into the settler’s identity was publicly announced. The nature of the attack—on foot, broad daylight, no attempt to stop—led her family and the local community to conclude that it was a deliberate act of vehicular assault, a method used in previous documented settler attacks against Palestinians.
Biography
Ghadir Anis Masalma was a 63-year-old Palestinian woman from Sinjil, a town northeast of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank. Known for her warmth, social spirit, and resilience, Ghadir was a beloved figure in her community and among her extended family. Just five years before her death, she had overcome cancer, proudly telling relatives, “I am stronger than cancer.” A devoted wife to Saleh Abu Hamada, she lived a quiet life shaped by community, faith, and perseverance. Her life was suddenly and violently cut short when she was struck and killed by an Israeli settler’s car in a hit-and-run incident while walking with her husband near their hometown.
Born in 1958, Ghadir Anis Masalma spent her life in the Palestinian town of Sinjil, in the central West Bank. She was known in her community as compassionate, cheerful, and deeply family-oriented. Despite facing personal and political hardship like many in the occupied territories, Ghadir remained strong and positive. Her family recalls her triumph over cancer, an experience that inspired those around her. “She was stronger than cancer,” her family said—an affirmation she often repeated herself. Ghadir loved being surrounded by people—always eager to help, to comfort, to share.
She was married to Saleh Abu Hamada, 67, and they were together when the fatal incident occurred. On the day she was killed, they had been walking together near bypass Road 60, returning home. Her niece, Zahra, described her as “a loving mother to everybody who knew her.” Ghadir’s death came not only as a personal tragedy for her family but also as a symbol of the growing threat that Israeli settler violence poses to ordinary Palestin
Pleas of Surviving Relatives and Family if any
Ghadir’s family is still reeling from the loss. Her husband, Saleh Abu Hamada, who witnessed the entire incident, described the moment in anguish:
“He didn’t stop, he didn’t slow down—he just rammed her with his car and sped away. We were just heading back home.”
Her niece Zahra mourned not just the loss, but the manner of it:
“She was always so full of life, always giving. We can't believe she’s gone like this. She beat cancer, but couldn’t survive this brutality.”
The family has demanded justice, calling on international human rights organizations and legal bodies to investigate the killing as a hate crime or terror attack, rather than treat it as a traffic incident. As of now, no settler has been held accountable, and the family fears the case may be buried like so many others.
Her loved ones have emphasized that Ghadir’s memory must not be forgotten—not just as a victim of settler violence, but as a symbol of Palestinian strength, grace, and resilience.
Additional Information
Sources & References
December 24, 2021: Ghadir Anis Masalma, 63, Killed by Israeli Settler in Hit-and-Run Near Sinjil, West Bank On December 24, 2021, Ghadir Anis Masalma, a 63-year-old Palestinian woman and cancer survivor, was struck and killed by an Israeli settler’s car near the entrance of Sinjil, a town northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. The settler fled the scene without stopping, and no arrests were reported. Ghadir was walking with her husband, Saleh Abu Hamada, near bypass Road 60, a road reserved primarily for Israeli settlers, when the vehicle struck her. According to her husband, the settler did not slow down or stop, but intentionally rammed her and sped away. Ghadir succumbed to her injuries at the scene. Local residents and officials described the incident as a deliberate attack, not an accident. The Mayor of Sinjil, Hazem Tawafsha, confirmed that the couple was walking near the entrance to the town when the settler’s car struck Ghadir. The hit-and-run came amid a series of attacks by settlers and1 israelpalestinetimeline.org Open source