A seven-month-old Palestinian baby has been killed and his parents injured after Israeli forces fired at a vehicle in Hebron, Palestinian health officials say.
The Palestinian health ministry identified the infant as Sam Fahd Abu Haikal. It said he died at the scene, while his mother and father were wounded and taken to hospital. Officials described their condition as moderate.
The shooting happened in the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron, near Checkpoint 17.
Speaking about the incident, the baby's grandmother said the family had been driving when they spotted Israeli military vehicles and soldiers ahead. She said they stopped the car after seeing the troops in the distance.
According to her account, gunfire was then directed towards the vehicle. At first, the family believed the shots were intended as a warning.
"One bullet struck my grandson, traversed his face and crossed his head, striking his mother's cheek where it lodged," she said.
She added that the same bullet also grazed the father's finger. The baby's mother remained in hospital receiving treatment.
The Israeli military said its forces were conducting operations in the Hebron area when soldiers believed a vehicle was accelerating towards them. It said one soldier fired several shots at the approaching car.
In a statement, the military said an initial review found that the wounded individuals were "uninvolved civilians". It added that the incident was under further examination and that the findings would be passed to the relevant authorities.
The death has drawn renewed attention to tensions in Hebron, one of the most sensitive cities in the West Bank. Tel Rumeida is home to a small community of Israeli settlers living among a much larger Palestinian population, with a heavy military presence in the area.
Violence in and around Hebron has remained a recurring feature of the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to a 2024 European Union report, more than 700,000 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem and the West Bank alongside over three million Palestinians.
The circumstances surrounding Friday's shooting remain under investigation.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time bein...
Iran and Oman discussed a phased plan for a temporary shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz during the Omani foreign minister’s visi...
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 10 prisoners of war each in Belarus, Moscow's Human Rights Commissio...
Oil prices fell after the U.S. expanded economic sanctions on Iran, as Tehran vowed to retaliate and warned it had tools to respond, raising concerns over potential disruption to regional oil supplies.
Kyiv has recently received a small number of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. It comes as Britain and France pledged stronger military support for Ukraine.
Only four commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, following 13 transits a day earlier, as disruptions continue to restrict traffic through the key energy chokepoint.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time being”, Axios reports. Meanwhile, Iran and Oman have resumed talks on a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 10 prisoners of war each in Belarus, Moscow's Human Rights Commissioner, Yana Lantratova, has said.
Iran and Oman discussed a phased plan for a temporary shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz during the Omani foreign minister’s visit to Tehran on Tuesday, as tensions remain high between Iran and the U.S. over the strategic waterway.
More than half of the Syrian city of Aleppo's ancient markets have now been rebuilt, over a decade after they were reduced to rubble during the early years of the Syrian civil war.
The UN has condemned the entry of Israeli forces into a UNRWA training centre in East Jerusalem, warning the move could disrupt vital education for young Palestinians.
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan are among 11 countries set to benefit from a $400 million Asian Development Bank investment aimed at cutting freight times and costs along key Central Asian transport corridors.
At least 14 infants were killed when a fire broke out at a state-run hospital in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, the prime minister said, with local media saying it was triggered by a fault in the air conditioning system.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment