A two-year-old Palestinian boy and his father were shot by Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank, leaving the child in critical condition. The incident occurred during an Israeli military ambush in the village of Nabi Saleh, northwest of Ramallah. Palestinian authorities reported that the father and son were sitting in a car when they came under fire. The man was taken to a hospital in Ramallah while the child was transported to Israel’s Sheba hospital by helicopter. The Israeli army claimed that gunmen had opened fire towards an illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank, prompting soldiers at a guard post to return fire and hit both the man and child. The army has launched an investigation into the shooting and expressed regret for harming noncombatants.
Under its current right-wing government, Israel has been increasing its military raids in the occupied territory. Since the beginning of 2023, Israeli forces have killed at least 158 Palestinians, including 26 children, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa. This figure includes 36 Palestinians who were killed during a four-day assault on the besieged Gaza Strip from May 9 to 13. Over 700,000 Israelis live in settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, which were captured by Israel during the 1967 War.