Mohammad Samer Khallouf
He was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers
Mohammad Samer Khallouf was killed by live ammunition fired by Israeli soldiers during a military raid on the Jenin refugee camp on November 3, 2022. The soldiers opened fire as children and youth protested the invasion by shouting and throwing stones at armored military vehicles. During the chaotic and violent scene, Israeli forces unleashed a heavy barrage of gunfire without distinction between armed combatants and unarmed civilians. Mohammad, who was among the protesting children, was struck by live bullets and fatally wounded. The severity of his injuries, caused by high-velocity rounds, left him with no chance of survival. Medical efforts to save him were unsuccessful. His death illustrates the lethal consequences of Israel’s use of live ammunition in densely populated civilian areas, particularly during raids that often provoke spontaneous protests from local residents, including minors.
Biography
Mohammad Samer Khallouf was a 14-year-old Palestinian boy from the town of Burqin, located west of Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank. His young life was cut short on November 3, 2022, when he was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers during a military invasion of the Jenin refugee camp.
Mohammad Samer Khallouf, aged 14, hailed from Burqin, a town west of Jenin in the northern West Bank. He was a school-aged boy living in an area long burdened by the violence of military incursions and armed confrontations. On the morning of November 3, 2022, Israeli military forces launched a large-scale invasion into Jenin and its refugee camp, reportedly to carry out arrests. As dozens of Israeli military vehicles poured into the area and surrounded a local shop, protests erupted. Among the protesters were children, including Mohammad, who shouted slogans and threw stones at the advancing military vehicles—a form of resistance often seen in the occupied Palestinian territories, especially among youth. In response, Israeli forces opened fire with live ammunition. Mohammad was fatally struck amid the gunfire.
His death was part of a deadly day in Jenin that saw multiple Palestinian casualties. On the same day, 28-year-old Farouq Jamil Hasan Salama was killed by undercover Israeli forces, and four other Palestinians were wounded. The violence did not end there: earlier that day, Israeli forces also killed two other Palestinians near Jerusalem, and the previous day, a 54-year-old man was shot dead at a military checkpoint west of Ramallah.
Mohammad’s killing was widely mourned in his community. He was not a fighter nor involved in any armed group; he was a young boy reacting to the sight of soldiers occupying his land and disrupting his community. His death highlighted the ongoing vulnerability of Palestinian children in conflict zones and the increasingly lethal use of force by Israeli troops during operations in civilian areas.
Sources & References
Mohammad Samer Khallouf, 14, from the town of Burqin west of Jenin, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers who opened fire with live ammunition during a military raid on the Jenin refugee camp. The soldiers fired at a group of children who were protesting the invasion by shouting and throwing stones at the advancing military vehicles. Mohammad was fatally shot as dozens of Israeli army vehicles stormed Jenin and its refugee camp, surrounding a local shop. The invasion sparked widespread protests, during which the army unleashed a heavy barrage of live gunfire, resulting in his death.1 israelpalestinetimeline.org Open source