Palestinian Baby Killed by Israeli Troops in Occupied West Bank

Israeli troops shot and killed a seven-month-old Palestinian baby and wounded his parents after opening fire on their car in the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, according to the family and local reports. The infant, Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, was struck during Friday’s incident and later died after being evacuated in critical condition to a hospital. His father, Fahd Abu Haikal, said the family vehicle had complied with a soldier’s order to stop and that the car was clearly carrying a family, including the baby’s mother, an 11-year-old brother and the child’s grandmother. He said the shooting happened in broad daylight and that the car was stationary when troops opened fire.

The Israeli military said its soldiers fired at a vehicle they believed was moving toward them, but an initial inquiry found those injured were uninvolved civilians. The army said the incident is under review and expressed sorrow for harm to civilians. Abu Haikal rejected the military’s account, saying the soldier was close enough to see the passengers and that the vehicle had stopped completely before the shots were fired. He called for a full investigation and accountability.

At the baby’s funeral on Saturday, his father said the soldier fired and then withdrew without explanation. The family said Sam’s mother was critically wounded with shrapnel near her heart. The child’s body was wrapped in a Palestinian flag as mourners prayed over it.

The British consulate in Jerusalem said it was shocked and saddened by the killing and called for an immediate, transparent investigation. The incident drew further attention amid broader violence in the West Bank, where the UN said more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, including at least 240 children. Human rights group Yesh Din said Israeli soldiers accused of harming Palestinians are rarely punished.

The deadly shooting in Hebron came as Israeli strikes continued in Gaza, where medical sources and civil defence officials said nine people were killed on Saturday. In Gaza City, a drone strike hit a displacement camp in Jawazat, killing seven people and wounding 15, according to civil defence officials. Another strike later killed one more person in southeast Gaza City. Farther south, a strike on a tent killed 25-year-old Muhannad Othman Farwana, who relatives said was due to be married later that day. The Israeli military said some of those killed in Gaza were linked to Hamas and described the strikes as targeting militants.