Occupied Jerusalem, June 10 (Petra) – A new video released by the
Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied
Territories, B’Tselem, reveals the moment an Israeli soldier killed
seven-month-old Palestinian infant Sam Abu Haikal in his mother’s
arms in Hebron four days ago.

The family was in their car when a bullet pierced the windshield and
fatally struck the infant in the head while he was in his mother’s
arms. The car came to a complete stop following soldier commands, at
the time of the shooting.

“The video clearly shows that the Israeli soldier fired at the car as
the driver slowed down before coming to a stop, while the child was
at a distance from the soldiers and posed no threat to them. The
father is also seen holding the child and trying to stop the bleeding
from his head,” said B’Tselem, a prominent Israeli non-governmental
human rights organization widely recognized for documenting human
rights violations in the Palestinian territories.

The child’s mother, who was also injured in the shooting, can be seen
holding her son while sitting on the road next to the family’s car,
it said.

“Last Friday, June 5, an Israeli soldier opened fire on a Palestinian
family returning from a family visit as they drove through the Tel
Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron. The shooting occurred after the
father, who was driving, noticed soldiers standing in the road and
slowed down. Seven-month-old Sam, who was in his mother’s arms in the
back seat, was shot in the head and pronounced dead shortly
afterward, said the group.

“Sam’s parents, who are still receiving treatment in the hospital,
were also wounded by gunfire, the center continued, stating that
after the shooting, the soldier who pulled the trigger and another
soldier who was with him left the scene without searching the vehicle
or offering any assistance to the critically wounded child and his
mother,” it said.

B’Tselem confirmed that Israel has killed more than 20,000 children
in Gaza and the West Bank in the past two and a half years.

It said the impunity the Israeli system gives to soldiers and
settlers has led to a daily reality that the killing of Palestinians
is fully supported and justified by the system, even when it involves
a seven-month-old child.

Commenting on the killing, B’Tselem director Yuli Novak said the
impunity provided by the international community to Israel has led to
a situation where the lives of Palestinians are completely
disregarded.

//Petra//SS