The killing of Palestinian children and teenagers by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank has seen a significant increase since the start of the war in Gaza, with rights groups reporting hundreds of deaths.
Mohammed al-Hallaq, aged nine, was killed by an Israeli army bullet in October. His mother, Alia al-Hallaq, recounted the incident, stating her son was killed after running away from soldiers patrolling their village of Al-Rihiya. An uncle reported the boy was struck by a stray bullet during an altercation between soldiers and older youths. The Israeli military stated at the time that soldiers opened fire toward suspects engaged in rock-throwing, and hits were identified.
According to B'Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization, 235 children and teenagers were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank between October 7, 2023, and June 2026, including five killed by Israeli settlers. The Palestinian Authority's Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission reported 250 such deaths during the same period. This marks a substantial rise from the 2005-2021 period, when an average of approximately one Palestinian child or teenager was killed by Israeli forces per month. Since October 7, 2023, the average has risen to around seven per month, using B'Tselem's figures.
AFP spoke with twelve mothers who lost children during this period. While circumstances varied, all described disrupted family lives and a lack of accountability. In the preceding year, the youngest of the 54 Palestinian children or teenagers killed, according to B'Tselem, was only two years old, with the majority aged between 14 and 17. Teenagers are frequently killed when Israeli forces confront Palestinian youths throwing rocks, whom they often label as terrorists and subsequently shoot.
In other cases, often involving younger children, witnesses reported that the army fired indiscriminately. Seven-month-old Sam Abu Haikal was shot in the face by Israeli troops in Hebron in June 2026 while in his mother's car. His mother, Dania Abu Haikal, was also wounded in the incident. The army stated soldiers fired on "uninvolved civilians" after their vehicle accelerated toward troops, a claim disputed by Abu Haikal, who stated the car had stopped before the shooting began. She expressed despair over the loss of her only child, stating, "Palestinians don't get justice for being killed by Israelis. But we hope that we get justice."
