Funeral Held for Seven-Month-Old Palestinian Baby Killed in West Bank Shooting as Israeli Military Reviews Incident

The funeral of a seven-month-old Palestinian baby, who was killed after Israeli troops opened fire on his family's vehicle in the occupied West Bank, has been held in Hebron.

The infant, identified as Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, died after being shot during an incident near the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron on Friday evening. His parents were also injured in the shooting.

According to the Israeli military, soldiers fired after they "perceived a threat" from a vehicle they believed was accelerating towards them. However, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later acknowledged that the family were "uninvolved civilians" and expressed "deep sorrow" over the incident, adding that the circumstances are under review.

The baby's father, Fahd Abu Haikal, rejected the military's expression of regret, insisting that his family posed no threat and had complied with soldiers' instructions.

Speaking about the incident, Fahd said he was driving home from Bethlehem with his wife, son, and other family members when they approached an Israeli checkpoint near their home in Hebron.

According to the family, they stopped the vehicle after noticing Israeli soldiers approaching from a nearby road. Fahd said he raised his hands after bringing the car to a halt.

"The bullets struck the car," he said. "The soldier who shot at us was about 10 metres away. The bullet went through the front windshield, passed through my arm, then struck my son in the head and my wife in the face."

Sam later died from his injuries in hospital, while his mother remains under medical treatment. Fahd also sustained injuries during the shooting.

At the funeral in Hebron, mourners accompanied Fahd as he carried his son's body, wrapped in a Palestinian flag, to the burial site.

Local residents who visited the scene said the family's vehicle was struck on a road leading to the checkpoint. One witness, who requested anonymity, said he heard two gunshots and observed several Israeli soldiers in the area.

In a statement, the IDF said a single shot was fired after troops believed the vehicle was accelerating towards them. The military added that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Rejecting the explanation, Fahd said: "When more than one bullet is fired, when there's no warning shot and no warning at all, it can't be a mistake."

The incident occurred in Tel Rumeida, an area of Hebron where Israeli settlers live among Palestinian residents under heavy Israeli military presence.

Violence in the occupied West Bank has intensified since the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. According to Palestinian health authorities, more than 1,000 Palestinians, including militants and civilians, have been killed in the territory during that period.

Israeli authorities say at least 44 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the West Bank over the same timeframe.

The October 2023 Hamas attacks in southern Israel killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities, with 251 others taken hostage into Gaza. Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza has resulted in more than 70,600 deaths, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.