Mourners Gather in Hebron for Funeral of Palestinian Baby Shot by Israeli Troops
The seven-month-old victim was killed while traveling with his family in a vehicle near an Israeli checkpoint in the occupied West Bank.
Primary source: BBC World News. Full source links, newsroom standards, and correction details are below.
Fast summary
Start here
- Seven-month-old Sam Fahd Abu Haikal was shot in the head while in a car with his parents near the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron.
- The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged the family were uninvolved civilians and expressed deep sorrow over the shooting.
- The child's family maintains they obeyed all orders to stop and posed no threat, disputing the military's claim that soldiers perceived a threat.
What happened
A funeral was held in Hebron for Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, a seven-month-old Palestinian infant killed by Israeli gunfire on Friday evening. The baby was in a car with his family when a soldier fired at the vehicle in the Tel Rumeida area. The child’s father, Fahd, carried the small body, wrapped in a Palestinian flag, to a graveyard on Saturday as mourners joined the procession.
What's new in this update
Following the burial, the family provided detailed accounts of the shooting, stating they had come to a full stop and the father had raised his hands before soldiers opened fire from approximately 10 meters away. One bullet reportedly passed through the father's arm before striking the child in the head and hitting the mother in the face. The mother remains hospitalized while the father has publicly dismissed the Israeli military's expression of regret as insufficient.
Key details
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement claiming a single shot was fired after soldiers perceived a vehicle accelerating toward them. However, the IDF has since acknowledged the family members were 'uninvolved civilians' and stated the incident is under review. Local witnesses reported hearing two shots and noted that the car was hit while on the approach to a checkpoint near the family's home.
Background and context
Tel Rumeida is a long-standing flashpoint in Hebron, characterized by Israeli settlers living in close proximity to Palestinian residents under heavy military guard. Since the October 7 attacks, the West Bank has seen a significant surge in violence. According to the Palestinian health ministry, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory during this period, while at least 44 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks or military operations.
What to watch next
The IDF is currently conducting a review of the shooting. Observers will be monitoring whether this review leads to disciplinary action or changes in rules of engagement at West Bank checkpoints, as well as the potential for heightened local unrest following the infant's death.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the escalating civilian death toll in the West Bank and the persistent friction at checkpoints where Israeli military presence and Palestinian residents intersect.
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