The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that a 7-month-old infant died and his parents were injured after Israeli soldiers opened fire on their family car near the city of Hebron in the West Bank. The Israeli military stated that soldiers believed the vehicle was accelerating toward them. However, initial investigations found the injured were uninvolved civilians. Israel expressed regret over the incident.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health disclosed that on the evening of Friday, 5 June local time, Israeli soldiers fired their weapons at Palestinian civilians in the Tel Rumeida area, south of Hebron city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The shooting caused the death of 7-month-old male infant Sam Fahad Abu Haikal at the scene. His parents were wounded by gunfire but are now in stable condition.
The infant’s grandmother recounted the moment, saying the family was driving near checkpoint 17 and saw Israeli soldiers and military vehicles at a distance. The driver stopped the car, but suddenly soldiers opened fire on them. Initially, the family thought it was warning shots. The grandmother sorrowfully said, "One bullet struck my grandson’s face and passed through his head, then lodged in the mother's cheek. The father was grazed on the finger by a bullet. The mother is still receiving treatment in hospital."
Meanwhile, Dr. Tarek Barbarawi, director of the hospital in Hebron, told AFP news agency that the infant was brought to the hospital in critical condition but later died. This aligns with reports from the Palestinian Wafa news agency, which stated the Israeli military deliberately fired at the family’s vehicle.
The Israeli military explained that during operations in Hebron on Friday, soldiers perceived a car speeding toward them. One soldier fired at the vehicle, resulting in injuries to three Palestinians who were taken to hospital.
However, the Israeli military’s preliminary investigation acknowledged that all those injured and killed were "civilians not involved in the conflict." The military expressed "deep regret" over the loss and confirmed a thorough investigation is underway to report to responsible authorities for further action.
The Tel Rumeida area in Hebron is a strategic hotspot with frequent violent clashes, as it is an Israeli settlement zone heavily guarded by the Israeli military, surrounded by Palestinian residents. According to a 2024 European Union report, over 700,000 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem and the West Bank amid more than 3 million Palestinians.
Since the Gaza war erupted after Hamas attacked Israel, violence in the West Bank has escalated almost daily. AFP, citing Palestinian Ministry of Health statistics, reports at least 1,080 Palestinians—both armed and civilians—have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers. Official Israeli figures indicate at least 46 Israelis, including soldiers and civilians, have died from Palestinian attacks or during military operations in the same period.