Abir Aramin عبير عرامين | |
---|---|
Born | 1997 |
Died | 2007 |
Cause of death | Shot by Israel Defense Forces |
Abir Aramin (Arabic: عبير عرامين, 1997-2007) was a Palestinian girl who was shot and killed by the Israel Defense Forces in January 2007.[1] Her death gained attention because her father, Bassam Aramin, had been a Fatah militant that subsequently embraced a peaceful resolution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict through Combatants for Peace.[2][3]
Aramin was born in 1997 and went to school in 'Anata, north of Jerusalem.[4][5][6]
On January 16, 1997, Aramin left school with her sister and some friends.[3][7] On their way home, she stopped at a candy store.[8] While there, a group of Israeli border officers drove onto the street, attracting the attention of a group of youths, who began throwing rocks at them.[9] During this altercation, one of the border officers fired their gun, hitting Aramin in the head with a rubber bullet; she had not been involved in the rock-throwing.[10][9] According to witnesses, Aramin collapsed, bleeding profusely from the wound.[11][12] She was rushed to the Hadassah Medical Center, where she underwent surgery for several hours.[11] Aramin succumbed to her injuries within days.[11][13]
In the wake of Aramin's death, the Israeli authorities alleged that Aramin had died after being hit by a stone.[9][14] The authorities closed the investigation in the same year.[15]
In the wake of Aramin's death, her father, Bassam Aramin, wrote an article in the The Palestine Chronicle, emphasizing his commitment to nonviolence and criticizing the IDF's reaction to her death.[16] Bassam brought a civil case, seeking compensation from the Israeli government.[9] The Israeli government refused to order a criminal investigation in February 2008.[6]
In 2010, Jerusalem District Court Judge Orit Efaal-Gabay determined that Israel was liable for Aramin's death.[6][17][18]
On July 10, 2011, the Israeli High Court of Justice ruled that two officers suspected of killing Aramin would not stand trial.[19] In September of the same year, Aramin's family was awarded $430,000 in compensation.[9]