In a distressing incident near the University of Vermont’s campus in Burlington, three young Palestinian students were reportedly shot on Saturday evening. The victims, identified as Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid, and Tahseen Ahmed, were attacked while en route to a family dinner. Currently studying at different universities in the United States, they sustained critical injuries.
Husam Zomlot, Head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK, condemned the attack in a social media post, stating that the students were targeted for wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh. The motive behind the shooting remains unknown.
This incident follows a recent surge in hate crimes against Palestinians, as highlighted by Zomlot, who also mentioned a separate hate crime involving a 6-year-old Palestinian child in Illinois six weeks prior. Calls for an end to such hate crimes and the need for protection for Palestinians have intensified.