Grief in Hebron: Family disputes ‘mistake’ claim after seven-month-old Palestinian baby killed by Israeli soldier

The death of seven-month-old Sam Fahd Abu Haikal has ignited a bitter dispute over military conduct after a routine drive through the West Bank turned fatal.

The streets of Hebron turned into a site of mourning this Saturday as the community gathered to lay seven-month-old Sam Fahd Abu Haikal to rest. The infant was killed on Friday evening while travelling in a vehicle with his parents and grandmother, marking yet another tragic flashpoint in the volatile West Bank. As the boy’s father, Fahd, carried the small, flag-draped body to the burial site, the grief of the family was matched by a firm rejection of the military’s official narrative regarding the incident.

Conflicting Accounts of the Shooting

The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain a subject of intense contention. According to a statement issued by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on X, troops operating in the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron "perceived a vehicle accelerating toward them." The military claims a soldier responded by firing single shots at the car. While the IDF has acknowledged that those inside the vehicle were "uninvolved civilians" and expressed "deep sorrow for any harm caused," the account provided by the family paints a vastly different picture of the encounter.

Fahd Abu Haikal, the boy’s father, maintains that the vehicle was stationary when the shots were fired. Speaking to international media, he explained that after bringing the car to a halt near an Israeli checkpoint, he raised his hands to indicate non-hostility. According to his testimony, a soldier positioned roughly 10 metres away opened fire regardless. The family asserts that the projectile pierced the windshield, struck Fahd in the arm, and ultimately hit the seven-month-old infant in the head.

A Family Left in Mourning

The incident occurred as the family was returning home following a day trip to Bethlehem. For the Abu Haikal family, the classification of this death as a "mistake" by military officials is an unacceptable explanation for the loss of their child. The grandmother, Firyal Abu Haikal, has corroborated her son’s account, insisting that the car posed no threat to the soldiers on the ground at the time of the shooting.

The death of the infant has underscored the high-tension environment pervasive in the West Bank, where interactions at checkpoints frequently result in lethal outcomes. As the military confirms that an inquiry is currently underway to review the conduct of the soldier involved, the family continues to demand accountability. For those living in the region, the tragedy is not merely a tactical error but a devastating reflection of the precarious nature of civilian life under military occupation.