Israeli troops kill 7-month-old Palestinian baby in West Bank

Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, 7 months old, was fatally shot Friday when Israeli soldiers opened fire on his parents’ car near Hebron, according to the Palestinian health ministry.reuters
The IDF said troops “perceived a vehicle accelerating toward them,” but an initial inquiry found those injured were uninvolved civilians.timesofisrael
The military expressed “deep sorrow” and said the incident is under investigation, with findings to be submitted for review by authorities.timesofisrael

Israeli Forces Kill 7-Month-Old Palestinian Infant in West Bank Shooting

Israeli soldiers shot and killed a seven-month-old Palestinian baby and wounded his parents on Friday evening after opening fire on their vehicle in the occupied West Bank, drawing condemnation from Palestinian officials and an expression of “deep sorrow” from the Israeli military.

The Shooting

Sam Fahd Abu Haikal was traveling with his mother and father in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood south of Hebron when Israeli troops fired on their car. The Palestinian health ministry said the infant died from his injuries, while both parents sustained gunshot wounds and were hospitalized.washingtonpost

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that the baby was critically wounded after being struck in the face by the same bullet that injured his mother, and that he later died of his injuries. The infant’s father, Fahd Abdul Aziz Abu Haikal, has been identified as a lecturer at Bethlehem University.cbsnews

IDF Response

The Israel Defense Forces said that during operational activity in Hebron, soldiers “perceived a vehicle accelerating toward them” and fired “single shots toward the vehicle”. An initial inquiry “found that those injured were uninvolved civilians,” the IDF spokesperson said, adding that the incident is under review and that findings will be “submitted for review by the relevant authorities”.cnn

“The IDF expresses deep sorrow for any harm caused to uninvolved individuals,” the military stated.timesofisrael

Context

The killing comes amid ongoing Israeli military operations across the West Bank that have escalated since October 2023. Tel Rumeida is a heavily militarized area in central Hebron where Israeli settlements exist alongside Palestinian residents, and the neighborhood has long been a flashpoint of tension. The shooting has drawn widespread attention as one of the youngest victims of Israeli military fire in the West Bank.