Israeli Military Fires on Civilian Vehicle... 7-Month-Old Infant Killed

Palestinian Family Shot While Visiting Relatives
Israeli Military: "Civilians Unrelated to the Operation"

A 7-month-old infant died after the Israeli military opened fire on a vehicle carrying a Palestinian family in a village in the West Bank under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority (PA).

On June 6, Yonhap News Agency, citing an Israeli military statement, reported that in the morning of the previous day, Israeli soldiers on an operation in the village of Tel Rumeida, south of Hebron in the West Bank, spotted a car speeding toward them and opened fire. Three members of the Palestinian family inside the car were injured and transported to the hospital.

On the 5th (local time), the father of a 7-month-old baby who died from gunfire by the Israeli military stands in the emergency room of Hebron Hospital wearing blood-stained clothes. Photo by Reuters / Yonhap News

The Palestinian state-run WAFA news agency reported that 7-month-old Sam Fad Abu Haykal, who was in the car with his father, mother, and grandmother, died later that evening. The infant's parents also suffered serious injuries. The baby's grandmother stated, "The incident happened near a checkpoint while we were traveling from my son's home in Bethlehem to my house in Hebron." She added, "Even though the car had come to a complete stop, the occupation forces (the Israeli military) suddenly shot at us from just 10 meters away. We were shocked. There was no danger or legitimate reason to open fire." WAFA further noted that the infant’s father is a lecturer at Bethlehem University and that the family resides in the southern West Bank.

As controversy grew, the Israeli military stated, "The injured have been confirmed as civilians unrelated to the operation," and expressed "deep condolences for the harm suffered by innocent people." The Israeli military has launched an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.