Odai Trad Hisham Salah

Odai Trad Hisham Salah was a young Palestinian teenager from the village of Kafr Dan, situated west of the city of Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank. On September 15, 2022, his life was tragically cut short during a large-scale Israeli military invasion targeting his village. The operation involved numerous military vehicles entering Kafr Dan, which sparked widespread protests from local residents. During the violent confrontation, Israeli soldiers fired live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets, gas bombs, and concussion grenades at the protesting Palestinians.

Odai was shot directly in the head by an expanding bullet, a type of ammunition designed to cause severe internal damage, leading to his immediate death. The same military incursion left three other Palestinians wounded, one critically, including Ahmad Rashad, who was shot in the back. The Israeli forces also obstructed Palestinian journalists, threatening media crews trying to cover the invasion, and ransacked homes linked to Palestinian fighters involved in recent clashes with Israeli forces.

The military siege of Kafr Dan lasted several hours, during which the town was isolated and declared a closed military zone. Soldiers deployed sharpshooters on rooftops, further escalating the danger for civilians and residents, including children who faced trauma from the intense violence. Odai’s death is part of a series of lethal encounters between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians in the West Bank during a period marked by heightened tensions and frequent military raids. His community continues to mourn his loss while facing ongoing challenges under occupation.