The mother of Wadee Alfayoumi has described to jurors how she called for help after her landlord brutally attacked her with a knife and then fatally stabbed her six-year-old Palestinian American son, Al Jazeera reports.

Hanan Shaheen was the first witness to testify at the murder and hate crime trial of 73-year-old Joseph Czuba near Chicago.

She said she had not previously had any issues in the two years they had rented from the Czubas, sharing a kitchen and living room with the family.

Then after the start of the conflict in Gaza, Czuba told her that they had to move out because Muslims were not welcome. She urged him to “Pray for peace”.

Later, Czuba confronted Shaheen and attacked her, holding her down, stabbing her more than a dozen times, before fatally stabbing her young son 26 times in October of 2023.

Czuba has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and other charges.