A Baby Came Home From a Family Trip in a Coffin
Maryam Tariq
Sam Abu Haikal
Seven month old Sam Abu Haikal should have been sleeping in his crib that night.
Instead, his family spent the next day carrying his tiny body to a cemetery in Hebron.
According to his family, Sam was returning home with his parents after a day out in Bethlehem when their vehicle approached an Israeli military checkpoint in the Tel Rumeida area of the occupied West Bank.
What happened next would leave a family shattered forever.
Hebron Shooting
Sam’s father, Fahd Abu Haikal, says the family stopped their car when Israeli soldiers approached. He says he raised his hands to show they posed no threat.
Moments later, gunfire struck the vehicle.
According to Fahd, a bullet passed through his arm before hitting his infant son in the head and striking Sam’s mother in the face.
Sam was rushed to hospital but died from his injuries.
His mother remains under medical treatment.
A Father’s Grief
At the funeral, mourners gathered as Sam’s father carried his son’s small shrouded body wrapped in a Palestinian flag.
For many, the image became a painful reminder of the human cost of conflict.
Sam was only seven months old.
He had never celebrated a first birthday.
Never taken his first steps.
Never spoken his first words.
His future ended before it had truly begun.
Israeli Military Response
The Israeli military said soldiers fired after perceiving a threat from a vehicle they believed was accelerating toward them.
The military later acknowledged that the family were uninvolved civilians and expressed deep sorrow over the incident.
An investigation has reportedly been launched.
But Sam’s father rejected the explanation.
He questioned how a family that had stopped its vehicle and followed instructions could have been perceived as a threat.
The Human Cost of Conflict
The shooting occurred amid continuing tensions and violence across the occupied West Bank.
Since October 2023, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory according to Palestinian health authorities. Israeli authorities say dozens of Israelis have also been killed during attacks and military operations.
Yet behind every statistic is a family.
For the Abu Haikal family, the conflict is no longer measured by headlines or numbers.
It is measured by an empty crib, a silent home, and the absence of a child who should have had an entire life ahead of him.
Sources:
Inanc
· Funeral held for baby shot dead by Israeli troops in occupied West Bank
https://www.bbc.com/news
· AFP reporting from Hebron funeral and family testimony
https://www.afp.com
· Israeli military statement regarding Hebron shooting incident
https://www.idf.il
· Palestinian Health Ministry casualty statistics
https://www.moh.ps
· BBC News Middle East coverage from Hebron
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east
