On Friday evening, a tragic incident unfolded in the Tel Rumeida area south of Hebron City, where Israeli troops shot and killed a seven-month-old Palestinian boy. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the child’s parents were also wounded while driving in the occupied West Bank.
The baby, Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, suffered critical injuries when a bullet struck his face. He later succumbed to these injuries. His father, Fahd Abu Haikal, who works as a lecturer at Bethlehem University, was injured in the hand. The family was traveling from Bethlehem to visit relatives in Hebron when the shooting occurred, as reported by Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Images captured by the Associated Press reveal a bullet hole in the car’s windshield and the baby’s car seat positioned behind the driver’s seat. After the attack, the father recounted to reporters at Al-Ahly Hospital in Hebron how the bullet pierced his hand before hitting his wife and son. He described the injury to his child as entering the face on the right side, exiting on the left, and then hitting the mother.
Currently, the mother is in critical condition due to shrapnel lodged near her heart. She remains unaware of her son’s death, who had just turned seven months old that day.
The grandmother of the infant, Feryal Abu Heikal, witnessed the event and expressed horror at the scene. She remarked how they initially believed the shots were warnings until realizing they had been struck.
Amidst growing international concern, the British consulate in Jerusalem expressed its shock, urging a transparent investigation into the incident.
A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the soldiers perceived the vehicle as a threat, prompting one soldier to fire. An initial review found the victims were civilians not involved in any hostile actions. The IDF expressed regret for the harm caused and initiated a review of the incident.
The violence is set against a backdrop of ongoing tensions in the region. The West Bank has seen increased military operations since the October 2023 Hamas attack. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the conflict has claimed over 72,900 Palestinian lives.
Reports indicate that more than 1,000 Palestinians, including at least 240 children, have died in the West Bank and east Jerusalem since hostilities began, according to the United Nations. This incident further contributes to the grave situation, drawing global scrutiny and calls for accountability.
The family plans to hold the baby’s funeral on Saturday.
The region remains fraught with tension as political and military dynamics continue to impact civilian lives, highlighting the enduring complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.