The killing of Palestinian children and teenagers by Israeli forces has surged dramatically in the West Bank since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, leaving grieving families and intensifying scrutiny over accountability, according to human rights organizations and official bodies.
Casuality Figures and Toll Since October 2023
B’Tselem, an Israeli rights group, reported that 235 children and teenagers were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank between October 7, 2023—when Hamas launched a massive attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip—and June 2026. This total includes five children reported killed by Israeli settlers. Over the same time period, the Palestinian Authority’s Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission, a Palestinian government institution, reported 250 such deaths.
This represents a sharp escalation compared to prior years. According to B’Tselem data covering the 17-year period between 2005 and 2021, an average of roughly one Palestinian child or teenager was killed by Israeli forces every month. In contrast, the average for the period since the October 7 attack is approximately seven children killed per month.
Specific Incidents in Al-Rihiya and Hebron
Among the victims is nine-year-old Mohammed al-Hallaq, who was killed last October in the southern West Bank village of Al-Rihiya. His mother, Alia al-Hallaq, a Palestinian homemaker, told AFP that Mohammed was killed after running away from soldiers patrolling their village. Her uncle, Mohammed Hallaq, stated that his nephew was struck by a stray bullet during a confrontation between the army patrol and a group of older youths. Emergency services reported that the bullet traveled through the boy’s abdomen.
When contacted by AFP regarding the incident, the Israeli military stated that soldiers opened fire during an altercation in Al-Rihiya. “Soldiers responded with fire toward the suspects in the rock-hurling. Hits were identified,” the military said.
In another case in June 2026, seven-month-old Sam Abu Haikal was shot in the face in the West Bank city of Hebron. His mother, Dania Abu Haikal, 28, a university lecturer from Bethlehem, told AFP she was wounded when troops fired at their car while the infant was on her lap. Following a preliminary investigation, the army stated that a soldier opened fire on “uninvolved civilians” after their vehicle accelerated toward troops, an account disputed by Abu Haikal, who maintained her husband had brought the car to a stop.
Accountability and Legal Avenues
AFP spoke to 12 women who lost children following the October 7, 2023 attacks. Although the details of each case differ, the mothers reported a shared lack of accountability and family lives interrupted by sudden loss. B’Tselem figures show that of the 54 Palestinian children or teenagers killed last year, the youngest was two years old, while the majority were aged between 14 and 17. Teenagers are frequently killed during engagements where Israeli forces confront youths throwing rocks. Major General Avi Bluth, the Israeli military commander for the West Bank, stated in early 2026 that the army had killed 42 Palestinians for throwing stones in 2025, though he did not specify how many were minors.
Families affected by these killings have sought legal recourse. Dania Abu Haikal and other mothers interviewed by AFP consulted lawyers to press the army for full investigations into the deaths of their children. While pursuing these legal steps, families express deep skepticism regarding formal outcomes. “Palestinians don’t get justice for being killed by Israelis,” Abu Haikal said.