Following the death of Safa Awad, a 50-year-old Palestinian citizen of Israel, in a missile strike from Lebanon, social media reactions have revealed deep divides within Israeli society. Awad, a well-known school teacher in the Palestinian town of Shfaram, was killed on Sunday when a missile struck her home. While the local community mourns her loss, some online responses have sparked controversy, with a mix of sympathy and celebration highlighting tensions amid ongoing conflict.

Missile Strike Kills Palestinian-Israeli Teacher

Safa Awad was at home when a missile from Lebanon struck the town of Shfaram in northern Israel. The explosion killed her and also injured several people in the surroundings. In a conversation with Israeli news portal Ynetnews, her husband mourned, claiming, “The missile landed right inside the safe room.”. Sadly, we lost a wife, sister, mother, and an educator in our school for 30 years,” he said.

Awad was an esteemed instructor and spent decades teaching in her community.

“I now feel what the wounded people of the war feel when I look at her face,” he said, appealing for the stop of violence that has taken thousands of lives on both sides.

Social Media Celebrations and Condemnations

In the wake of the killing, social networks became a battleground for polarized reactions. As several mourned the loss of a revered teacher, some Israeli users celebrated the incident simply because Awad was a Palestinian. Some decided to commemorate the death; others insulted her. One refers to an “own goal” for Hezbollah, another says, “Yes, that it’s fun that she is not Jewish.”

One of the most inflammatory posts came from a volunteer for Magen David Adom, Israel’s rescue service. She claimed there was “nothing to be sad about” over Awad’s death, calling her a “terrorist in every respect.” That comment earned hundreds of likes before people began to turn against the commenter, and the volunteer was suspended with an impending disciplinary hearing.

Knesset member Ahmad Tibi of the left-wing Hadash-Ta’al party condemned the spate of hate and urged action in court. “Once again, the same racism, the same filth, the same human garbage, the joy that a missile from Lebanon killed the late Safa Awad,” Tibi wrote on X (formerly Twitter), frustrated by what he views as the lack of accountability.

 A Pattern of Celebrating Palestinians Killed

This is not the first time such remarks have swept social media following the death of Palestinian citizens in Israel. Last month, just as now, there was a similar reaction after the death of Mohammed Naim, who was killed while helping his siblings to seek shelter during an attack. In October, a rocket from Lebanon killed two Palestinians, Arjwan Manna, and Hassan Suad, in the town of Majd al-Krum, prompting yet another spate of gleeful reactions from certain Israeli users.

For his part, social psychology professor Eran Halperin of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has condemned these reactions, as he expressed, “It is a real civic duty to read these racist comments. After every comment, I want to say this is not an extreme handful. This is the Israeli government itself.” He cautioned that normalizing such views threatens to give way to Israel’s societal values.

 Community Mourns Highlights Inequalities in Protection

As for residents in Shfaram, Awad’s death was felt. Here, she is described as a devoted and good-natured teacher to many young people. However, her death has underlined the broader issues of inequality in protection towards Palestinian and Jewish communities in Israel.

The Israel Democracy Institute reported recently that there were wide gaps in reinforced security rooms and safe shelters in Palestinian towns compared with Jewish ones. This lack of protection was reflected by a Shfaram resident who said that the authorities had yet to consult the residents on the need for secure places, “They have only built safe rooms on main streets, but we want them near the houses as well.

This event is not an isolated incident. Only weeks ago, a mother and her son were killed in the Shfaram area while they were picking olives, reminding people that Palestinian citizens of Israel are often placed in vulnerable positions during times of ongoing violence.

Growing Divisions and Calls for Change

Polarized reactions to the death of Awad underscore the broad social divides within Israeli society and highlight the complex dynamics of identity and security involved. At the same time, her community mourns, and online celebrations over her death called for greater accountability and a reevaluation of how Palestinian citizens are handled during times of conflict. The incident raises pressing questions about the direction of Israeli society and challenges the country to work toward peace and understanding amid long-standing hostilities.