Title
Honoring the life of Nasrallah Abu Siyam, a Palestinian-Philadelphian, who was fatally shot in the village of Mukhmas in occupied West Bank, on the first day of Ramadan.
Body
WHEREAS, Nasrallah Abu Siyam was a 19-year-old American citizen born in Philadelphia with families in Pennsylvania and New Jersey; and
WHEREAS, Nasrallah was born a helper, becoming his father’s right-hand on their family farm and olive orchard in Palestine, and he deeply loved riding horses, specifically his own named Shams, meaning “sun” in Arabic; and
WHEREAS, Just a week before his death, Nasrallah traveled to Jenin, which took over two hours and required him to pass multiple dangerous checkpoints, to provide food for those in need. Despite the risks, Nasrallah went because that is simply who he was - a helper, caregiver, and friend to all; and
WHEREAS, On February 18th, 2026, while tending to his family’s sheep, Israeli settlers approached the farmland attempting to steal the sheep when Nasrallah and others approached to demand that they leave. As Israeli forces arrived, the settlers reportedly became emboldened and opened fire, killing Nasrallah and injuring four others; and
WHEREAS, Nasrallah is the first person to be killed by settlers in the village of Mukhmas, and is the sixth American citizen killed by Israeli settlers or soldiers in the territory in the last two years, and the fourteenth since 2003; and
WHEREAS, Nasrallah’s murder is unfortunately just one in a series of politically motivated violent attacks enabled by the Israeli government and military as part of a broader effort to forcibly seize Palestinian land; and
WHEREAS, It is crucial for the United States to remain firm in its sentiment to prioritize the safety and security of American citizens overseas. Furthermore, the United States has both the legal authority and the treaty mechanisms to investigate this crime; and
WHEREAS, The Council of the City of Philadelphia uplifts Nasrallah’s families demands, and that of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), calling on the Attorney General and the Secretary of State of the United States to launch a full investigation into this murder and hold Israeli settlers accountable; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby honors the life of Nasrallah Abu Siyam, a Palestinian-Philadelphian, who was fatally shot in the village of Mukhmas in occupied West Bank, on the first day of Ramadan.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Nasrallah Abu Siyam as evidence of the sincere sentiment of this legislative body.
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