In a shocking incident that has raised concerns about rising anti-Palestinian sentiments in the United States, three young Palestinian men were shot near a university campus in Vermont. The incident took place on Saturday evening near the University of Vermont’s campus in the city of Burlington. The victims were identified as Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid, and Tahseen Ahmed, who are studying at different universities in the US.
According to reports, two of the victims are in intensive care, while one was due to be released on Sunday. The Ramallah Friends School, where the three studied in the occupied West Bank, expressed deep distress over the incident in a statement on Facebook. The severity of the injuries is concerning, with Hisham shot in the back, Tahseen in the chest, and Kinnan sustaining minor injuries.
The motive behind the attack remains unknown, but the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) has reasons to believe that it was motivated by the victims’ Arab ethnicity. The ADC stated that the victims were wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian scarf, and speaking Arabic when a man shouted and harassed them before proceeding to shoot them.
ADC’s Director Abed Ayoub emphasized that hate was a motivating factor in this shooting and called on law enforcement to investigate it as such. The incident is seen as another example of the unprecedented surge in anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian sentiment in the US. This sentiment has been reflected in the public support from both Republican and Democratic politicians for Israel’s war in Gaza, despite the mounting death toll among Palestinians and allegations of war crimes.
Israel’s ongoing ground and air assault on the besieged Gaza Strip has resulted in the deaths of more than 15,000 Palestinians and has left large parts of the region in ruins. The incident in Vermont has further highlighted the need to address the growing hostility towards Palestinians and to promote understanding and tolerance among diverse communities.
As investigations into the motive behind the attack continue, the international community and human rights organizations are closely monitoring the situation and calling for justice for the victims. The incident serves as a reminder of the urgent need to combat hate and discrimination in all its forms and to strive for a more inclusive and peaceful society.
