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
