Hasan Sami Ramadan al-Borno
Shot by Israeli soldiers while working on farmland.
While working on his farmland in Johr al-Deek, Hasan al-Borno was shot by Israeli military personnel. Witness accounts and medical reports confirmed he was unarmed and engaged in agricultural activity. His shooting occurred in an area often under threat due to its proximity to the Israeli border, and where several civilians have previously been targeted. Despite emergency medical intervention, he succumbed to his injuries and was officially declared dead at al-Aqsa Hospital.
Biography
Hasan Sami Ramadan al-Borno, aged 63, was a Palestinian farmer from Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip. On May 19, 2021, while tending to his farmland in the Johr al-Deek area southeast of Gaza, he was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers. Medics rushed to the scene and attempted to save him, but he was declared dead at al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah. Hasan was among the many civilians killed during Israel’s military offensive on Gaza in May 2021. A peaceful civilian, Hasan’s death while working his land is emblematic of the wide-reaching toll the conflict took on non-combatants across Gaza.
Hasan Sami Ramadan al-Borno, 63, was a lifelong resident of Deir al-Balah, a central city in the Gaza Strip. Known in his community as a dedicated and hard-working farmer, Hasan spent most of his life cultivating his family’s land in the Johr al-Deek area — a rural zone southeast of Gaza often affected by military activity due to its proximity to the Israeli border.
On May 19, 2021, in the midst of Israel’s intense bombardment campaign on Gaza, Hasan went to his farmland, likely attempting to salvage what he could or tend to crops amid the chaos. While on his land, Israeli soldiers opened fire and shot him fatally. Witnesses said there was no warning, and Hasan was clearly unarmed and engaged in farming. He was shot despite posing no threat.
Palestinian paramedics reached the site and provided emergency aid before transporting him to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. He was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
That same day, multiple Israeli airstrikes and shellings hit Deir al-Balah and surrounding areas, causing widespread destruction, injuries, and further civilian casualties — including children and pregnant women. Despite the war zone conditions, civilians like Hasan continued trying to survive and maintain life amid the crisis.
His killing sparked sorrow and condemnation from local human rights groups, who documented his death as part of a pattern of attacks on non-combatants, particularly farmers and aid-seekers, during the offensive.
Pleas of Surviving Relatives and Family if any
“Hasan was just farming — feeding his family. He was not a threat to anyone. Why shoot an elderly man on his own land? This is not self-defense — it’s the killing of our fathers, our providers, our people.”
Sources & References
Hasan Sami Ramadan al-Borno, 63, was killed by Israeli soldiers while working on his farmland in Johr al-Deek area, southeast of Gaza. Palestinian medics rushed to the area and tried to revive the man before rushing him to al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, where he was officially declared dead. also, an Israeli warplane and a drone launched two missiles at Hameed al-Hindi’s house in Deir al-Balah camp, causing partial destruction. At approximately 21:00, Israeli warplanes launched a missile at a truck belonging to ‘Abdullah Darwish, destroying its front and causing damage to the nearby houses.1 israelpalestinetimeline.org Open source