Funeral held for baby shot dead by Israeli troops in occupied West Bank

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: Funeral held for baby shot dead by Israeli troops in occupied West BankJust now Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleSebastian UsherHebronAFP via Getty ImagesThe baby's parents were also injured in the shooting on FridayThe funeral has taken place of a seven-month-old Palestinian baby shot dead by an Israeli soldier while in a car with his family in Hebron in the occupied West Bank. According to the Israeli military, a shot was fired when soldiers "perceived a threat" from the vehicle in the Tel Rumeida area on Friday evening. The family say they obeyed soldiers' orders to stop and posed no danger.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has acknowledged the family were "uninvolved civilians" and has expressed "deep sorrow" over the incident. The boy's father has dismissed the IDF's expression of regret. The body of Sam Fahd Abu Haikal was laid to rest in Hebron, the day after he suffered a fatal wound from the bullet of an Israeli soldier.

The Details

His father, Fahd, was joined by a group of mourners as he carried his small shrouded body wrapped in a Palestinian flag to the graveyard. On Friday, Fahd was driving Sam and other members of his family home from a day out in Bethlehem. They had almost reached the Israeli checkpoint just before their home.

Local residents showed me exactly where their car was hit halfway up the hill to the checkpoint. Fahd and Sam's grandmother, Firyal, who was also in the car, have given their accounts of what happened next. Firyal said that the family stopped the car when they saw Israeli soldiers approaching from a side road to their left.

Fahd says he raised his hands after bringing the vehicle to a halt. Both say that gunshots followed. "The bullets struck the car," Fahd said.

What Experts Say

"The soldier that shot at us was 10m away. The bullet penetrated the front windshield, went through my arm, and then struck my son in the head and my wife in the face. "Sam died of his wound in hospital, his mother is still being treated.

Anadolu via Getty ImagesBullets from the Israeli soldiers tore into the car and hit baby Sam, his mother and fatherAt the spot where the shooting happened, local residents pointed out to me traces of what they said was blood on the road. One local - who did not want to be named - said he heard just two shots fired, adding that there were around four soldiers at the scene. In its statement on the shooting, the Israeli military said that a single shot was fired after the soldiers "perceived a vehicle accelerating towards them".

But the IDF has acknowledged that the family were what it called "uninvolved civilians" and that the incident is under review. Dismissing the Israeli expression of regret, Fahd said: "When more than one bullet is fired, when there's no warning shot and no warning at all, it can't be a mistake! "Firyal said that the family stopped the car when they saw Israeli soldiers on the approach to this checkpointTel Rumeida has long been a flashpoint.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.