In a heart-wrenching incident that has shaken the northern West Bank city of Jenin, 22-year-old journalism student Shatha al-Sabbagh lost her life Saturday evening in what her family describes as a devastating shooting by Palestinian security forces.
Al-Sabbagh was spending a quiet evening at home with her mother and two young children when a sniper’s bullet pierced through their sanctuary, her family members recounted through tears. It was within the context of a continuing security campaign by the Palestinian Authority in Jenin-a city that has witnessed growing tensions within the past few years.
“My daughter was innocent,” said the quivering-voiced al Sabbagh mother, speaking about the moments of shooting. “There were no militants here. We were just a family trying to spend our evening in peace.” The family’s account sharply contrasts with the official statements and represents the complex dynamics in this volatile region.
The Palestinian security forces have branded those behind the murder “outlaws,” which is often their label for local militant factions involved in clashes with Israeli forces. In a statement released, the security forces condemned the shooting and vowed a probe into the circumstances leading to al-Sabbagh’s death.
The incident threw a harsh light on the paradoxical position of the so-called Palestinian Authority in the West Bank: It is self-ruling over parts of Israeli-occupied territory while disapproved of by an increasingly large part of its people-and desperate to maintain security coordination with its enemy.
Local residents gathered outside the al-Sabbagh family home Sunday morning, demanding justice and transparency in the investigation. “Shatha was a bright young woman with dreams of becoming a voice for her community through journalism,” said Ahmed Rahman, one of her university professors. “Her death represents not just a personal tragedy but a loss for our entire society.” The incident’s timing is especially delicate because it takes place in the midst of a rare security campaign by Palestinian forces in Jenin, a city that has come to symbolize conflict and resistance. The campaign has increased tensions between security forces and locals, many of whom are suspicious of the Authority’s actions.
Palestinian Authority Is to Blame
Critics say security coordination from Palestinian Authority has further taken away its legitimacy from most, if not all, Palestinians, who now begin to see it as far removed from daily survival and aspirations. Meanwhile, it was said by Israeli officials that the Authority was not doing enough preventative work in its areas of control to stop militant activities.
As darkness enveloped Jenin on Sunday evening, the streets remained heavily burdened with grieving in anger. Posters of al-Sabbagh appearing showing a young woman who, at any rate, possessed so much potential and determination adorned the walls around the city. Her death rings loudly within the Palestinian context as a potent symbol of the intricate difficulties Palestinian society is going through and the price civilians have to pay for enduring security operations.
An investigation is currently ongoing regarding al-Sabbagh’s death, but that information is already late to her family and community. As one neighbor puts it, “We lose another young soul every day, another dream, another future. When will it stop?”
