Nidal Sayel Safadi

Their life

Nidal Sayel Safadi, 30, was a Palestinian resident of Orif village, located south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus. He lived in a community that has long faced recurring incursions and confrontations with Israeli forces and settlers. On May 14, 2021, during a wave of deadly violence across the West Bank, Nidal was fatally shot by Israeli soldiers. His death came amid widespread protests and military raids in Nablus and surrounding villages, where Palestinians were resisting both the military presence and settler attacks. Nidal’s killing was part of a larger escalation that saw multiple Palestinians lose their lives on the same day, remembered by his community as one of the bloodiest in the region.

Nidal Sayel Safadi was born and raised in Orif village, a small Palestinian community located south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. At the age of 30, he was known among his family and neighbors as a man deeply rooted in his village and its struggles, sharing the daily hardships faced by Palestinians living under occupation. His village, like many in the area, often experienced incursions by the Israeli military and violent confrontations with armed settlers. On May 14, 2021, Israeli soldiers carried out a large-scale operation across the Nablus area, raiding several villages including Orif, Salem, and Asira al-Qibliya, as well as Sbeih Mountain. When protests broke out in response to the invasion, Nidal was among the residents present. Amid the clashes, he was shot with live ammunition by Israeli forces. Despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his wounds. His death was one of nine killings across the West Bank that day, in what the Palestinian Health Ministry described as one of the deadliest escalations, with over 500 others injured. Nidal’s passing added to the heavy toll borne by his community, leaving behind family, friends, and a village scarred by the violence.

How they died

Nidal was killed by a live round fired by Israeli soldiers during a military invasion of Orif village.

The cause of Nidal’s death was a fatal gunshot wound inflicted by Israeli soldiers during a raid on Orif village, south of Nablus. As several army jeeps entered the area, clashes broke out between the invading forces and local residents. Soldiers opened fire with live ammunition, striking Nidal. Despite being rushed for medical treatment, he was pronounced dead. His killing occurred in the context of a large-scale military campaign in the West Bank that same day, during which Israeli forces and settlers killed nine Palestinians and injured hundreds.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Nidal Sayel Safadi, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources