Palestinian Fahd Abou Haikal carries the body of his seven-month-old son Sam during the funeral in Hebron in the occupied West Bank on June 6, 2026. (Hazem Bader/AFP)

A grieving family has laid to rest a seven-month-old Palestinian baby who was shot dead while travelling in a car with relatives in Hebron in the occupied West Bank.

The funeral of Sam Fahd Abu Haikal took place a day after the infant suffered a fatal gunshot wound during an incident involving Israeli soldiers in the Tel Rumeida area on Friday evening.

Heartbroken mourners joined Sam's father, Fahd, as he carried the tiny shrouded body, wrapped in a Palestinian flag, through Hebron before the burial.

The tragedy unfolded as the family returned home from a day out in Bethlehem. According to Sam's father, they were nearing an Israeli checkpoint close to their home when Israeli soldiers approached.

The Israeli military says a shot was fired after soldiers "perceived a threat" from a vehicle in the area. The family strongly disputes that account and insists they posed no danger.

Sam's grandmother, Firyal, who was inside the vehicle, said the family stopped when they saw soldiers approaching from a side road.

Fahd said he immediately complied and raised his hands after bringing the vehicle to a halt.

What happened next turned a routine journey into a devastating loss.

"The bullets struck the car," Fahd said.

"The soldier that shot at us was 10m away. The bullet penetrated the front windshield, went through my arm, and then struck my son in the head and my wife in the face."

Sam was rushed to hospital but died from his injuries.

His mother remains in hospital receiving treatment for wounds suffered in the same incident.

Local residents showed reporters the location where the shooting occurred, pointing out what they said were traces of blood on the road.

One resident, who did not wish to be identified, said he heard only two shots fired and estimated that around four soldiers were present at the scene.

The Israel Defense Forces has acknowledged that the family were "uninvolved civilians" and said it expresses "deep sorrow" over the shooting.

The military said a single shot was fired after soldiers believed the vehicle was accelerating towards them.

An investigation into the incident is now under review.

But Sam's father has rejected the military's expression of regret.

"When more than one bullet is fired, when there's no warning shot and no warning at all, it can't be a mistake!" he said.

The shooting has once again drawn attention to Tel Rumeida, one of Hebron's most sensitive and heavily guarded areas.

Israeli settlers live among Palestinian residents there, and a substantial Israeli military presence remains in place to provide protection for settlers.

Residents noted that Sam's family home sits just beyond an Israeli checkpoint near the scene of the shooting.

Despite the area's tensions, local children could still be seen playing football near the checkpoint, offering a stark contrast to the violence that unfolded nearby.

The incident comes against the backdrop of escalating bloodshed across the occupied West Bank since the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.

According to figures from the Palestinian health ministry, more than 1,000 Palestinians, including both militants and civilians, have been killed in the West Bank during that period.

At least 44 Israelis, including civilians and soldiers, have also been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations.

The wider conflict began after the Hamas attacks in southern Israel killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 others abducted into Gaza.

Israel responded with a major military operation in Gaza.

According to the Hamas-run health ministry, that campaign has resulted in the deaths of more than 70,600 people.

As the investigation continues, Sam's death is likely to intensify scrutiny of military operations in the West Bank and fuel further questions about the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly8lgn0x30o

Another day another Israeli atrocity.