By Elsie Kamsiyochi
A seven-month-old Palestinian infant was killed and his parents were wounded after Israeli forces opened fire on their vehicle in the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Friday evening, according to Palestinian health officials and eyewitness accounts.
The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the child as Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, stating that he died at the scene from gunshot wounds. His mother and father were also injured in the incident and were transported for medical treatment. Officials described their condition as moderate.
According to family members, the shooting occurred near Checkpoint 17 in southern Hebron. The infant’s grandmother said the family was traveling by car when they noticed Israeli military vehicles and soldiers positioned ahead on the road. She explained that the driver stopped the vehicle after spotting the soldiers, believing it was safer to remain stationary.
Moments later, gunfire erupted.
The grandmother said the family initially assumed the shots were intended as warning fire. However, one bullet struck the infant in the face and head, killing him instantly. The same round reportedly continued through the vehicle, hitting the child’s mother in the cheek before becoming lodged in her face. The father was also wounded, suffering an injury to his finger.
Photographs from the scene showed a bullet hole in the front windshield of the family’s vehicle, highlighting the violence of the incident. The child’s mother remained hospitalized following the shooting, while relatives gathered in grief over the loss of the infant.
In response, the Israeli military acknowledged that soldiers had fired at the vehicle during an operational mission in the Hebron area. According to a military statement, troops believed the car was accelerating toward their position, prompting one soldier to fire several shots.
The military said an initial review determined that the individuals inside the vehicle were “uninvolved civilians” and confirmed that three Palestinians had been wounded. Following further investigation, Israeli authorities stated that the incident would be formally examined and that the findings would be submitted to the appropriate military and legal authorities.
The shooting has intensified tensions in Hebron, one of the most sensitive and contested cities in the West Bank. The Tel Rumeida neighborhood has long been a flashpoint, where Israeli settlers live under heavy military protection amid a much larger Palestinian population. The area has witnessed repeated confrontations, military operations, and clashes over the years.
Human rights groups and local residents have frequently raised concerns about security measures and the risks faced by civilians living in close proximity to military checkpoints and settler communities. Incidents involving civilians have drawn increasing international scrutiny as violence across the occupied territories continues to claim lives on both sides.
The broader West Bank remains a center of political and security tensions. More than 700,000 Israeli settlers live across East Jerusalem and the West Bank alongside a Palestinian population exceeding three million people. The settlements remain one of the most contentious issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and are widely regarded by much of the international community as illegal under international law, a position disputed by Israel.
As the investigation proceeds, the death of the seven-month-old child has sparked renewed debate over military rules of engagement, civilian protection, and the escalating human cost of the conflict. For the Abu Haikal family, however, the political arguments offer little comfort as they mourn the loss of an infant whose life ended before it had truly begun.
The funeral for the child was held shortly after the incident, with relatives, friends, and residents gathering to pay their respects amid an atmosphere of sorrow and anger. The case is expected to draw further attention as investigators seek to determine exactly how the shooting unfolded and whether any accountability measures will follow.
Source Reuters
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