IDF opens military police investigation into killing of Palestinian infant in Hebron
A soldier shot at a family vehicle in Hebron on Friday, killing seven-month-old Sam Fahd Abu Haikal and wounding his parents
The IDF has opened a military police investigation into the killing of a seven-month-old Palestinian infant in Hebron after a soldier fired on a family vehicle on Friday.
The military confirmed the investigation with i24NEWS, saying, "Following the findings of the preliminary investigation, it was decided to open an investigation by the military police, at the conclusion of which the findings will be forwarded to the Military Prosecutor's Office."
The baby, Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, was traveling through the Tel Rumeida neighborhood with his parents, grandmother, and 11-year-old brother when the shooting occurred. The IDF said troops perceived the vehicle as accelerating toward them, and a soldier responded with single shots.
However, the family disputed the military's account. The baby's father, a lecturer at Bethlehem University, told Haaretz he had brought the car to a complete stop and raised his hands when soldiers signaled him to halt before shots were fired.
The incident is the latest in a series of disputed shootings of Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. In March, Israeli forces killed four members of the Bani Odeh family, including two young children, in their car under similar circumstances. According to Israeli rights group Yesh Din, soldiers were indicted in less than 1% of complaints alleging wrongdoing between 2016 and 2024.