A 3-year-old Palestinian boy tragically passed away on Monday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The child, Muhammad Haitham al-Tamimi, had been shot by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank a few days earlier.
Despite efforts, including helicopter transportation to an Israeli hospital, Muhammad could not be saved. The incident occurred near the Israeli settlement of Neveh Tzuf, located north of Jerusalem in the West Bank. Muhammad’s father, Haitham Tamimi, shared the harrowing details, recounting how they were shot as they were on their way to visit Haitham’s brother.
Muhammad sustained a gunshot wound to the head, and Haitham himself was also injured in his right shoulder. Local villagers swiftly came to their aid, transporting them both before Israeli ambulances and a helicopter arrived to transfer Muhammad to an Israeli hospital.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that their troops had been responding to gunfire aimed at Neveh Tzuf when they inadvertently struck two Palestinians, including the 3-year-old child. Medical teams from the IDF and Magen David Adom (MDA) provided treatment and managed to restore the child’s heartbeat, as announced by the MDA. Muhammad was then airlifted in an unstable condition to Sheba-Tel Hashomer hospital.
While expressing regret for harm caused to non-combatants, the IDF committed to conducting a review of the incident, but did not provide an updated statement following the child’s death, referring to their previous statement. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the killing, labeling it a “heinous crime against humanity” and called for an urgent international investigation into this and other similar incidents involving the killing of Palestinian children.
Muhammad’s father received treatment for his own gunshot wound and was discharged from a hospital in Ramallah on Sunday. Despite the absence of physical pain, he expressed the immense emotional pain he felt in his heart.
