Boy killed in clashes
Last Thursday, Mohammed Tamimi and his father were hit by gunshots as Israeli soldiers returned fire at Palestinian gunmen who had shot at the settlement of Neve Tzuf.
(TIMES OF ISRAEL, AFP) – Hundreds of Palestinians gathered on Tuesday for the funeral of a two-year-old boy who was mistakenly shot by Israeli troops during a shootout in the West Bank.
The aftermath of the funeral saw clashes with Israeli soldiers in which several Palestinians were reportedly injured.
Last Thursday, Mohammed Tamimi and his father were hit by gunshots as Israeli soldiers returned fire at Palestinian gunmen who had shot at the settlement of Neve Tzuf.
The father, Haitham Tamimi, was taken by Palestinian medics to a hospital in Ramallah, and the toddler was rushed to Sheba Medical Centre in Ramat Gan by a military helicopter in critical condition.
The boy succumbed to his wounds at Sheba on Monday, according to the hospital.
Tamimi’s mother, Marwa, 32, told AFP during the funeral that soldiers had fired on her husband while he was in the car with their son. She said he had gone out to move his car because he feared it would be damaged by nearby Israeli soldiers.
“My husband started the car and my son was next to him, and the shots were fired at him when he turned on the car’s lights,” she said. “They [Israeli soldiers] fired at them for a while, and they could not get out of the car … so I hid inside [the house].”
The Israel Defence Forces said in a statement after the shooting that the pair were likely hit by mistake, adding that it “regrets harm to [noncombatants] and works to prevent such incidents”.
In response to a query by The Times of Israel on Monday, the IDF said, “The incident is being investigated in depth. At the end of the inquiry and taking into account its findings, a decision will be made regarding the opening of a probe.”
Marwa Tamimi said she had no faith in the Israeli army’s investigation.
“I want an international trial. Enough is enough. Every time we hear of a child who is martyred, a whole family is martyred,” she said.
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