Israel-Hamas War Triggers Grandfather in US to Stab Muslim Boy to Death

CHICAGO - A 6 year old Muslim boy was stabbed to death by a 71-year-old man from Illinois, sparked by the war between Israel and Hamas. Apart from stabbing the boy, the old man also attacked the victim's 32-year-old mother.

Since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas, police in the US have increased their vigilance regarding the emergence of antisemitism and Islamophobia.

FBI agents along with Jewish and Muslim groups have received reports of increased hate rhetoric and threats.

In this Chicago-area case, police found the mother and son Saturday morning at a home in Plainfield Township, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) southwest of Chicago.

According to the Will County Sheriff, the Muslim boy who was stabbed died at the hospital. Meanwhile, his mother suffered stab wounds and is expected to survive. The results of the autopsy on the boy who died showed that he had been stabbed multiple times by the elderly man.

“Detectives were able to determine that the two victims received this brutal attack from the suspect due to their Muslim faith and the ongoing Middle East conflict involving Hamas and Israel,” the sheriff's statement said.

According to the Will County sheriff's office, the woman called 911 to report that her homeowner had attacked her with a knife, and she continued to fight him.

The perpetrator was later found by police at his residence with a wound on his forehead. The man named Joseph M Czuba was charged with first degree murder, attempted first degree murder, two counts of hate crimes and assault with a deadly weapon. He was immediately detained and awaits trial in court.

The boy who died was identified as Wadea Al-Fayoume of Palestinian-American descent.

Muslim civil liberties organizations called the crime a nightmare, and part of a rise in hate speech in emails since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. The group cited text messages that showed the perpetrator of the stabbing had made disparaging remarks about Muslims.

In response to the increased threat, the Illinois State Police communicated with federal law enforcement and reached out to the Muslim community and religious leaders to provide support.

“Taking the life of a six year old child in the name of bigotry is a crime.Wadea was supposed to go to school tomorrow morning. His parents would wake up without their son. This is not just murder, this is a hate crime. "Every Illinoisan, including our Muslim, Jewish and Palestinian neighbors, has the right to live free from the threat of such crimes," said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker on Monday.