Saddam Hussein Bani Odeh

Their life

Saddam Hussein Bani Odeh was a 26-year-old Palestinian man from the town of Tammoun, located south of Tubas in the northeastern occupied West Bank. A former political prisoner, Saddam was killed on November 16, 2021, after Israeli forces invaded the city of Tubas. During ensuing protests and armed confrontations, he was shot by Israeli soldiers with a live bullet that pierced his shoulder, heart, and lung. Despite efforts by Palestinian medics, he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a nearby hospital. His death occurred amid a broader Israeli military operation involving home raids and arrests in Tubas and surrounding areas. Israeli authorities claimed he was involved in armed resistance, while local sources and witnesses described the scene as a protest met with excessive military force.

Saddam Hussein Bani Odeh, 26, was a young Palestinian man from the town of Tammoun, a rural community near Tubas in the northeastern West Bank. Known locally as a former political prisoner, Saddam had experienced the direct impact of the Israeli occupation firsthand. On November 16, 2021, Israeli military forces launched a large-scale invasion into Tubas, sparking confrontations with local residents, including protests and reported exchanges of gunfire between armed Palestinians and Israeli soldiers.

During the chaos, Saddam was shot in the shoulder, with the bullet reportedly traveling through his heart and lung, causing fatal injuries. Palestinian medics responded quickly and transported him to a local hospital, but he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed the nature of his injuries, while the Israeli army claimed Saddam was participating in armed resistance. His death occurred during a wave of military activity in the region, as Israeli forces raided homes and detained multiple Palestinians, including former prisoners. The raids extended to nearby areas like Jenin and Nablus.

Saddam's killing added to a growing list of Palestinian casualties resulting from Israeli incursions into West Bank towns and cities, many of which blend military operations with mass arrests and home demolitions. His funeral was attended by a large crowd in Tammoun, where he was remembered not only for his past imprisonment but also as a symbol of the ongoing struggle in the occupied territories.

How they died

Saddam Hussein Bani Odeh died from a live bullet wound inflicted by Israeli soldiers during a military raid in Tubas.

Saddam was fatally shot by Israeli forces during confrontations that followed a military raid in Tubas on November 16, 2021. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the bullet entered his shoulder and pierced vital organs, including his heart and left lung. He was transported to the Tubas governmental hospital but was declared dead soon after. While the Israeli army claimed he was engaged in armed resistance, Palestinian witnesses described the scene as a protest that escalated due to the army’s aggressive incursion and use of live ammunition, tear gas, and rubber-coated bullets.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Saddam Hussein Bani Odeh, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources