A seven-month-old Palestinian baby has been killed and his parents critically wounded following a shooting incident in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian health officials.
The incident occurred Friday evening near Hebron when Israeli soldiers opened fire on a vehicle they perceived as accelerating toward them, the Israeli military stated. An initial inquiry by Israeli forces confirmed that the three Palestinians injured were uninvolved civilians.
Father Describes Harrowing Attack
Fahd Abu Haikal, a lecturer at Bethlehem University, told the Associated Press that bullets pierced his family's car windshield, with one round passing through his right hand before striking his infant son, Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, and wife in the back seat. Another bullet struck the hood of the vehicle.
"He was the entire world," Haikal said of his seven-month-old boy. "At the end, they tell you it was a mistake. Nothing is called a mistake."
The infant's mother remains in critical condition with shrapnel lodged dangerously close to her heart. The baby's grandmother, Feryal Abu Heikal, who was also in the vehicle, described the scene as "horrific."
"What kind of army in the world does this?" she asked.
Escalating Violence in West Bank
This incident reflects a broader surge in Israeli military operations and settler violence against Palestinians since the Gaza conflict began in October 2023. The shooting adds to mounting tensions across the occupied territory.
On the same day, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported eight people wounded in separate settler attacks on the town of Huwara near Nablus, including injuries from tear gas inhalation and rubber-coated metal bullets. Israeli military officials said riots had broken out between Israelis and Palestinians following a reported livestock theft, with soldiers dispersing crowds. The military acknowledged awareness of footage depicting a soldier using violence against a Palestinian and said the incident was under review.
Accountability Questions Persist
According to Israeli rights group Yesh Din, Israeli soldiers accused of harming Palestinians face prosecution in fewer than one per cent of cases. The organization documented 2,427 complaints alleging wrongdoing between 2016 and 2024, with minimal indictments resulting.
This article is based on reporting from CBC World and the Associated Press.