A seven-month-old Palestinian baby was killed and his parents wounded after Israeli soldiers opened fire on their vehicle in the occupied West Bank on Friday, according to Palestinian health authorities.The child, identified as Sam Fahd Abu Haykal, was travelling with his mother and father near the city of Hebron when the incident occurred.
Health officials said Israeli troops fired at the vehicle, resulting in the infant’s death and injuries to both parents.Speaking to Reuters, the child’s grandmother, Firyal Abu Haykal, said a bullet struck the family’s car during the shooting.
“The incident is unbelievable and unacceptable,” she said, expressing grief over the loss of the infant and the injuries sustained by his parents.
In response, the Israeli military stated that soldiers believed the vehicle was accelerating toward their position, prompting one soldier to fire a single shot.The military acknowledged that the victims were not involved in any hostile activity and confirmed that an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting is underway.The incident has renewed concerns over civilian casualties in the West Bank, where tensions and security operations have intensified in recent months.
It also follows previous deadly incidents involving Palestinian civilians. In March, Palestinian officials reported that four members of a family, including two young children aged five and seven, were killed after Israeli soldiers opened fire on their vehicle during the Ramadan period.
