Israeli soldiers shot and killed a seven-month-old Palestinian boy in the occupied West Bank on Friday, while his parents sustained injuries, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The infant, identified as Sam Fahd Abu Haykal, was travelling in a vehicle with his parents near the city of Hebron when Israeli forces allegedly opened fire on the car.
Palestinian health authorities said the shooting killed the child and wounded both parents.
Speaking to Reuters, the boy’s grandmother, Firyal Abu Haykal, said a bullet struck the family’s vehicle, fatally hitting the baby.
“The incident is unbelievable and unacceptable,” she told Reuters. “We are being harmed just because we decided to stay at our homes.”
In response, the Israel Defense Forces said troops “perceived” a vehicle accelerating toward them, prompting a soldier to fire a single shot at the car. The military acknowledged that the people injured were “uninvolved civilians.”
The IDF added that the incident is currently under review.
The latest shooting comes months after another deadly incident in the West Bank.
In March, Palestinian officials said Israeli soldiers killed four members of the same family, including two boys aged five and seven, while they were on a late-night drive after breaking their Ramadan fast.
