Key facts
- New footage contradicts the Israeli military's account of a shooting that killed a seven-month-old Palestinian baby.
- The incident occurred when soldiers opened fire on the Abu Haikal family's car in the occupied West Bank.
- The IDF claimed the vehicle was accelerating towards soldiers, but B'Tselem footage shows it slowing to a stop.
- The baby, Sam Abu Haikal, was killed, and his parents were injured.
- Israeli soldiers reportedly did not assist the family after the shooting.
- The Israeli Military Police have opened an investigation into the soldier involved.
New footage has emerged that appears to contradict the Israeli military's account of the shooting death of a seven-month-old Palestinian baby, Sam Abu Haikal, in the occupied West Bank.
The incident occurred when soldiers opened fire on the Abu Haikal family's vehicle. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that its troops perceived the vehicle accelerating towards them and responded with single shots. However, video evidence obtained by the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights, B’Tselem, shows the family's car slowing to a stop near a military post before soldiers opened fire.
B’Tselem asserted that the footage clearly demonstrates the car was slowing down and posed no danger to the soldiers. Fahed Abu Haikal, the baby's father, corroborated this, stating he stopped the car as instructed and then the shooting began. He recounted that a bullet passed through his hand and struck his son, Sam, who was in the back seat with his mother, Daniyah Abu Haikal, who was also injured.
Additional footage showed Israeli soldiers failing to provide assistance to the family, with civilians stepping in to help. The UN has reported that over 1,000 Palestinians, including at least 240 children, have been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since October 2023. Israeli rights group Yesh Din noted that soldiers accused of harming Palestinians are rarely penalized.
Yuli Novak, B’Tselem’s executive director, stated that the immunity granted to Israel by the international community has created a reality where Palestinian lives are considered disposable. The IDF expressed sorrow for any harm to uninvolved individuals, and the Israeli Military Police have initiated an investigation into the soldier who fired at the vehicle.