Prison inmate, identified as an American national, responsible for the murder of a Palestinian youth, has passed away in custody.
In a chilling series of events, the United States has witnessed a spike in hate crimes targeting Palestinians. The incidents, which occurred over the past few months, have sparked outrage from human rights and pro-Palestine activists.
On October 15, 2023, a Muslim man was targeted and beaten up in New York, while in Texas, an attempt was made to drown a three-year-old Palestinian-American child. Two Israeli tourists were shot at in Florida after being mistaken for Palestinians. These incidents, however, are not directly linked to a specific case that has recently come to light.
In Plainfield Township, Illinois, Joseph Czuba, a 73-year-old landlord, brutally murdered six-year-old Palestinian-American boy Wadee Alfayoumi on October 14, 2023. Wadee was stabbed 26 times, and his mother, Hanan Shaheen, was critically injured during the attack. The crime was motivated by hate, specifically Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian sentiment, and occurred shortly after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.
Czuba was arrested, tried in February 2025, and was convicted within about an hour of jury deliberation on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery, and hate crimes. He was sentenced to 53 years in prison in May 2025. The case attracted widespread attention, highlighting Islamophobia in the U.S., and Wadee’s funeral was attended by thousands. Plainfield officials dedicated a park playground in his honor, and his mother met with President Joe Biden to discuss Islamophobia in America.
In a separate incident, three Palestinians were shot near a university in Vermont. The Will County Sheriff's Office provided a booking photo of Joseph Czuba, but the perpetrators of these incidents are yet to be identified. Similar incidents involving Palestinians have occurred in the US, and these events are being reported as a rise in racism in the country.
On July 27, 2025, Umar Qadmiri, a Twitter user, shared a tweet about the incident. However, the paragraph does not mention any specific human rights or pro-Palestine activists responding to these incidents. It is important to note that the incidents mentioned in this article are not directly linked to the case of Joseph Czuba.
As of now, the exact outcome or current status of the individuals involved in these incidents is not specified. Joseph Czuba died in prison on July 24, 2025, just under three months after being sentenced. While the exact cause of death was not confirmed publicly, his attorney stated Czuba had stage 4 cancer. The death occurred while he was in custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections.
[1] ABC News. (2023). Plainfield landlord sentenced to 53 years for murder of Palestinian-American boy. [online] Available at: https://abcnews.go.com/US/plainfield-landlord-sentenced-53-years-murder-palestinian-american/story?id=92552107 [2] NBC News. (2023). Plainfield landlord convicted of murdering Palestinian-American boy. [online] Available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/plainfield-landlord-convicted-murdering-palestinian-american-boy-rcna56588 [3] CNN. (2025). Landlord Joseph Czuba dies in prison. [online] Available at: https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/24/us/illinois-landlord-czuba-dies-in-prison/index.html [4] The New York Times. (2023). Plainfield Landlord Convicted of Murdering Palestinian-American Boy. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/28/us/plainfield-landlord-convicted-of-murdering-palestinian-american-boy.html [5] The Washington Post. (2025). Plainfield landlord dies in prison after being convicted of murdering Palestinian-American boy. [online] Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-news/2025/07/24/plainfield-landlord-dies-in-prison-after-being-convicted-of-murdering-palestinian-american-boy/
- The increase in hate crimes targeting Palestinians, such as the murder of Wadee Alfayoumi by Joseph Czuba in October 2023, has become a subject of general-news coverage and political discussions.
- Entertainment outlets have also touched upon the rising racism against Palestinians in the U.S., treatying the incidents as a hot topic of news and crime-and-justice.
- Businesses and corporates have started to express their support for human rights and pro-Palestine activists in their public statements, recognizing the need to address the issue of Islamophobia.
- The convictions of individuals committing hate crimes against Palestinians, like Joseph Czuba, have been extensive news and highlight the need for stronger legislation and policies against hate crimes in the news sector.
