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Military Police probing killing of Palestinian infant by soldier in the West Bank
The Military Police has launched an investigation into the killing of a Palestinian infant by a soldier in the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday night, the Israel Defense Forces said on Sunday.
During the incident, a soldier opened fire at a car after reportedly perceiving it as accelerating toward the troops. Seven-month-old Sam Fahd Abou Haikal was killed, and his parents were wounded. The infant’s brother and grandmother were also in the vehicle during the incident.
The father, Fahd Abou Haikal, told media on Saturday that his wife was in critical condition but stable, after she was pierced by shrapnel close to her heart.
The IDF said the Military Police’s Investigatory Unit conducted a preliminary examination of the incident and decided to launch an official investigation.
The findings of the investigation will be forwarded to the Military Advocate General for review ahead of possible charges.
The IDF on Friday said it “expresses deep sorrow for any harm caused to uninvolved individuals” in the incident.
Contrary to the report that the soldier believed the car was accelerating toward him when he fired, the infant’s father, Fahd Abou Haikal, told Haaretz on Saturday that the vehicle came to a full stop before a soldier standing some 10 meters away fired the fatal shot.
The shooting occurred about 7:30 p.m., in daylight, and the soldier “saw me, saw my wife and the kids,” Abou Haikal said. “You can’t say he didn’t see it was a family.”
The soldiers opened fire “without warning” after he brought the car to a full stop on their orders, Abou Haikal said, adding that the troops were patrolling the street, but had not set up an obvious roadblock.
The family lives in Bethlehem and was traveling to visit relatives in Hebron at the time of the shooting, according to the PA’s official Wafa news agency.
