Funeral Held for 7-Month-Old Palestinian Baby Killed by Israeli Soldier in Hebron
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 6
Funeral Held for 7-Month-Old Palestinian Baby Killed by Israeli Soldier in Hebron
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 6
Summary
Hebron mourners buried seven-month-old Sam Fahd Abu Haikal a day after he was fatally shot while riding in a car with his family near the Tel Rumeida checkpoint.
His father said the family stopped as soldiers approached, he raised his hands, and bullets then hit the car—wounding him and Sam’s mother before striking the baby in the head.
The Israeli military said one shot was fired after troops perceived the vehicle was accelerating toward them, but later acknowledged the family were “uninvolved civilians,” expressed sorrow and opened a review.
Sam’s father rejected that account, saying there was no warning and more than one bullet was fired in an area of Hebron that has long been a settler-Palestinian flashpoint.
The killing comes amid a wider West Bank surge in violence since October 2023, with more than 1,000 Palestinians and at least 44 Israelis killed there, according to Palestinian and Israeli tallies.
An Israeli soldier killed a baby. With settler attacks rarely prosecuted, can an internal army review deliver justice?
International courts have issued rulings, yet a baby is killed. What will it actually take to protect civilians in the occupied West Bank?
Is rising West Bank violence a tragic byproduct of conflict or a deliberate tool for displacing Palestinians?
Fatal Shooting of Palestinian Infant in Hebron: June 2026 Incident Highlights Systemic Impunity and Escalating West Bank Tensions
Overview
On June 5, 2026, a fatal shooting in Tel Rumeida, Hebron—a long-standing flashpoint in the Israeli-occupied West Bank—left a Palestinian baby dead after a bullet struck the family's car. The area is marked by tension, with Israeli settlers living under heavy military protection among Palestinian residents. The baby's grandmother, Firyal Abu Haykal, described the shock and distress of losing her grandchild to a single bullet. This tragedy highlights the ongoing violence and deep divisions in Hebron, where everyday life is shaped by military presence and the risk of sudden, deadly incidents.