Arabic version: ظهور لقطات مثيرة للجدل لمقتل طفل في إطلاق نار بالضفة الغربية

Footage has emerged that appears to contradict the Israeli military’s account of the shooting that killed seven-month-old Sam Abu Haikal in his mother’s arms. The incident, which took place on Friday in the occupied West Bank, has sparked outrage after Israeli troops opened fire on the family’s vehicle, despite it having complied with an order to stop. According to The Guardian, Sam was killed, and his mother, Daniyah Abu Haikal, and father, Fahd Abu Haikal, were both injured during the incident.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that their soldiers perceived a vehicle accelerating toward them, prompting one soldier to fire at the car. However, the footage obtained by the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights, B’Tselem, shows the vehicle slowing down before the shots were fired. B’Tselem stated that the car was far from the soldiers and posed no danger at the time of the shooting.

In a separate video, Fahd Abu Haikal is seen holding his injured son in his arms, attempting to stop the bleeding from Sam’s head, while Daniyah sits nearby, also injured. Fahd recounted that a bullet passed through his hand and struck Sam, who was being held by his mother in the back seat of the car. He emphasized that they were following the soldier’s instructions to stop when the shooting began.

The footage has led to further scrutiny of the IDF’s actions, particularly regarding their failure to assist the family after the shooting. As civilians rushed to help the wounded child and his parents, Israeli soldiers reportedly stood by without intervening. The incident is part of a broader context of violence in the region, with over 1,000 Palestinians killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the most recent war between Hamas and Israel in Gaza began in October 2023.

The IDF expressed “deep sorrow for any harm caused to uninvolved individuals” and has since opened an investigation into the soldier involved in the incident. However, critics argue that accountability for Israeli soldiers accused of wrongdoing is rare, with less than 1% of cases leading to indictments from 2016 to 2024, according to the Israeli rights group Yesh Din.