Palestinian teen footballer dies after attack by Israeli settlers

A 17-year-old Palestinian footballer has died from wounds sustained during an attack by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, according to officials and relatives. Fadi Hamdallah al-Nassan, a player for Al-Mughayyir Club and a member of the Palestinian national youth team, was shot about a week ago during clashes with Israeli forces and settlers.

Dozens of mourners gathered for his funeral in his village, Al-Mughayyir, east of Ramallah. The Palestine Football Association accused Israeli forces of shooting Nassan while settlers were attacking the village on July 11. He was reportedly shot in the thigh, underwent an amputation, and later succumbed to his injuries.

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He loved football. When the settlers attacked, he heard the screams of the girls and women. He went to the scene of the attack and was killed.

His father, Hamdallah Al-Nassan, told AFP that his son was motivated to intervene when he heard screams from girls and women during the settler attack. "He went to the scene of the attack and was killed," his father said. The teenager's mother, Hanan al-Nassan, described her son as a well-liked student and athlete who loved football.

The Palestinian official news agency Wafa reported that two other residents were hit by rubber bullets fired by Israeli forces during the incident, and a 10-year-old boy was struck on the head by a stun grenade. The United Nations has documented a significant increase in settler violence in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. An AFP tally indicates that at least 1,088 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers or settlers since October 2023. Conversely, at least 46 Israelis, including soldiers and civilians, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli operations in the West Bank during the same period.

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He was a good student, good in sports, and loved playing football. Everyone loved him. May God accept him as a martyr.