Footage released by leftist organization B'Tselem shows an incident in which IDF soldiers seem to shoot at a Palestinian family's car in Hebron, killing seven-month-old Sam Abu-Haikal. 

In the footage released on Tuesday, soldiers can be seen pointing their guns at the driver of a car at a West Bank checkpoint. Then, the person filming the video turns away as soldiers fire at the car. In the next video, the child's father can be seen holding his body and trying to keep pressure on the boy's head wound. 

His mother can be seen sitting by the car, holding her cheek, while onlookers and family members appear to call for emergency services.

The baby's father, Fahad Abu-Haikal, and his mother, Dania, were both injured in the incident.

Father and brother of Sam Abu Haykal, a 7-month-old Palestinian child who was killed by Israeli soldiers, carry his body during his funeral in Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 6, 2026.
Father and brother of Sam Abu Haykal, a 7-month-old Palestinian child who was killed by Israeli soldiers, carry his body during his funeral in Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 6, 2026. (credit: MUSSA QAWASMA/REUTERS)

IDF reportedly kills Palestinian baby in Hebron

The baby's grandmother told Reuters that the family was driving near a checkpoint when they saw IDF vehicles and soldiers in the distance and stopped the car, initially believing that the shots fired were warning shots.

"One bullet struck my grandson, traversed his face and crossed his head, striking his mother's cheek where it lodged," she said.

On Sunday, the IDF said it had opened an investigation into the incident that occurred on Friday. 

B'Tselem claimed that after the shooting, the soldiers left the scene without checking the vehicle or offering to help the family.