A seven-month-old Palestinian baby was killed and his parents wounded after Israeli forces opened fire on their vehicle in the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Friday, according to Palestinian health officials.
Reuters reported that the Palestinian Health Ministry identified the infant as Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, saying he died at the scene while his mother and father sustained gunshot injuries and were receiving treatment in hospital.
According to the baby’s grandmother, the family was travelling near Checkpoint 17 when they noticed Israeli military vehicles and soldiers ahead. She said the driver stopped the vehicle after spotting the troops, believing the area could be unsafe.
Moments later, gunfire erupted.
“We thought they were warning shots,” she said.
According to her account, a bullet struck the infant, passed through his face and head, then hit his mother in the cheek before lodging in her face. The child’s father was also injured when the same gunfire grazed his finger.
The Israeli military acknowledged the incident, saying soldiers conducting operations in the Hebron area believed a vehicle was accelerating toward them. One soldier subsequently fired what the army described as single shots at the vehicle.
The military confirmed that three Palestinians were wounded and later evacuated for medical treatment.
However, an initial army review reportedly concluded that those struck were uninvolved civilians.
In a statement, the military said the incident remains under investigation and that the findings would be forwarded to the relevant authorities for further examination.
The shooting occurred in Tel Rumeida, one of Hebron’s most sensitive flashpoints, where Israeli settlers live under heavy military protection among a much larger Palestinian population.
The area has witnessed repeated confrontations and violence over the years, reflecting broader tensions across the occupied West Bank.
The death of the infant has sparked fresh concern over civilian casualties amid ongoing military operations in Palestinian territories.
For the Abu Haikal family, what began as an ordinary journey ended in unimaginable tragedy, leaving grieving relatives mourning a child whose life lasted only seven months.
As investigations continue, the incident is likely to intensify scrutiny of military engagement rules and the growing toll of violence on civilians caught in the conflict.
