A Family’s Life Shattered by Gunfire in Hebron

A seven-month-old baby died and his parents were injured after Israeli soldiers fired shots at their car near Hebron in the West Bank. The baby, named Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, was hit by a bullet that went through his face and head. His parents were also struck—his mother took a bullet to her cheek, while his father suffered a graze to his finger. The family claimed they stopped their car when they saw military vehicles approaching. They thought the shots were warnings, but one bullet changed everything. The grandmother described the horror of watching her grandson bleed out in the backseat. The Israeli military, however, said their soldiers opened fire because they believed the car was speeding toward them.Tel Rumeida, where this happened, is a tense area where Israeli settlers live under heavy military guard among Palestinian families. Clashes happen often here. With over 700, 000 Israeli settlers living among more than three million Palestinians, tensions in the West Bank run high. The military admitted three Palestinians were hurt but called them "uninvolved civilians. " They’re now reviewing what happened. But for one family, the damage is already done.