A Palestinian infant just seven months old died Friday evening after being struck by gunfire from Israeli forces in the Tel Rumeida section near Hebron in the West Bank, according to Palestinian health officials.
Health ministry officials named the child as Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, stating he died at the location of the incident. Both of his parents sustained injuries in the same shooting and are reported to be in moderate condition.
According to the child’s grandmother, the family’s vehicle had come to a stop after spotting Israeli military personnel and equipment ahead near Checkpoint 17. She described how gunfire was directed at their car, which the family first thought might be warning shots.
“One bullet struck my grandson, traversed his face and crossed his head, striking his mother’s cheek where it lodged,” she said, adding that the bullet had also grazed the father’s finger, and that the mother was in hospital.
Israeli military officials stated that during operations in the Hebron region on Friday, troops believed a vehicle was speeding in their direction, prompting one soldier to discharge individual rounds at the car. Military sources confirmed three Palestinians sustained wounds and received medical care.
A preliminary military investigation determined those hurt were “uninvolved civilians”, according to military statements, which noted the matter remains under examination with results to be forwarded to appropriate officials.
The Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron, where Israeli settlers reside under significant military security alongside Palestinian families, has historically been a site of recurring tensions in the Israeli-controlled West Bank.
According to a European Union assessment from 2024, more than 700,000 settlers reside in East Jerusalem and the West Bank among a Palestinian population exceeding 3 million.
