Islam Wael Burnat

Their life

Islam Wael Burnat, 15, was a Palestinian teenager from Bil’in village, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah. On May 18, 2021, Israeli soldiers fatally shot him in the head with live ammunition during a military invasion of Bil’in. The soldiers attacked nonviolent protesters in the village, firing live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets, and tear gas, injuring many. Islam’s killing occurred amid a day of widespread violence across the Ramallah area in which two other Palestinians, Adham Fayez Mousa Kashef and Mohammad Ishaq Hmeid, were also killed.

Born and raised in Bil’in village, Islam Wael Burnat was part of a tight-knit community known for its regular nonviolent protests against Israeli settlement expansion and the separation wall. At just 15 years old, Islam had already grown up witnessing regular confrontations between villagers and the Israeli army. On May 18, 2021, Israeli forces entered Bil’in, confronting unarmed demonstrators. The soldiers opened fire with live rounds, tear gas, and rubber-coated steel bullets. Islam was struck in the head by live fire at close range, a wound that proved instantly fatal. His death came during a day of heightened violence in the Ramallah governorate, where at least sixty-four Palestinians were wounded and three were killed, including Adham Fayez Mousa Kashef and Mohammad Ishaq Hmeid. Witnesses reported that the army also targeted ambulances and journalists, deepening community outrage over the killing of unarmed civilians, especially minors. Islam’s death became another symbol of the toll the conflict exacts

How they died

Gunshot wound to the head caused by live ammunition fired by Israeli soldiers.

Islam was killed when Israeli soldiers fired a live round into his head during a military incursion into Bil’in village. The attack was part of a broader assault on nonviolent protesters, in which soldiers used live fire indiscriminately along with other crowd control weapons. The bullet caused catastrophic head trauma, resulting in his immediate death.

A plea from the family

“He was just a child, standing in his own village. Islam’s only ‘crime’ was living on his own land. We demand justice for our son, and for the killing of all Palestinian children. The world must see what is happening here and stop the bloodshed.”

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Islam Wael Burnat, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources