Palestinian infant killed, parents wounded in West Bank

A seven-month-old Palestinian infant was killed and his parents wounded after Israeli soldiers opened fire on their vehicle in the occupied West Bank on Friday evening. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the child as Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, who died from his injuries in the Tel Rumeida area south of Hebron.

According to the family, they were traveling from Bethlehem to visit relatives when they saw Israeli military vehicles and stopped their car as instructed. The infant’s father, Fahd Abu Haikal, a lecturer at Bethlehem University, stated that after he stopped and raised his hands, soldiers opened fire. He said a bullet pierced the windshield, struck his hand, and then hit his wife and son in the back seat. The child’s grandmother, who was also in the vehicle, described a horrific scene.

The Israeli military stated that soldiers on operational activity in the Hebron area perceived a vehicle accelerating toward them, prompting one soldier to fire single shots. The military said three Palestinians were wounded and evacuated for medical treatment. An initial military inquiry found that those injured were uninvolved civilians, and the incident remains under review. The...