Israeli police kill two young Palestinian boys and their parents in West Bank | West Bank

Israeli police killed four members of a Palestinian family – two young brothers, their mother, and their father – in the occupied West Bank late Saturday, shooting all four in the head and face, according to reports. The killings occurred as the family returned from a Ramadan shopping trip.

Family Killed in West Bank Shooting

Mohammed, 5, Othman, 7, who was blind and had special needs, their mother Waad Bani Odeh, 35, and father Ali Bani Odeh, 37, were driving through their hometown of Tamoun when Israeli forces opened fire.

The incident followed hours after Israeli settlers shot and killed Amir Moatasem Odeh, 28, in Qusra, south of Nablus, and stabbed his father, Moatasem Awda, who remains hospitalized in serious condition.

There has been a surge in Israeli violence against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank since the end of February.

Over the past two weeks, Israeli settlers have shot six civilians dead during incursions into Palestinian olive groves, villages, and grazing land. One man died after inhaling military-grade teargas deployed by the Israeli army.

The attack on the Bani Odeh family brings the total number of Palestinians killed to 11. Two brothers survived the shooting. Khaled, 11, the oldest sibling, reported hearing his mother crying and his father praying before they died.

According to Khaled, after the gunfire ceased, Israeli border police removed him from the wreckage, taunted him about his family’s murders, and physically assaulted him. He alleges one of the officers said, “we killed dogs.”

The family had been in Nablus purchasing clothes for the upcoming Eid festival, which marks the end of Ramadan. Families often remain out late during the holy month, as adults fast during daylight hours.

“What did this family do? They went to buy Eid necessities, and to put a smile on those children’s faces,” said Mansour Abu Islam, a neighbor and cousin of Ali Bani Odeh. “This is clear evidence that Palestinian lives have no value.”

Witnesses stated the gunmen were an undercover Israeli unit, not in uniform, and were driving a vehicle with Palestinian license plates.

Khaled said Israeli forces opened fire without warning. After the shooting, an officer questioned who was in the car. When Khaled identified his family, the officer allegedly responded, “You are lying,” before physically attacking him.

The Palestinian ministry of health reported all four victims were shot in the head and face. Ali Bani Odeh, the driver, was also shot in the chest and left hand.

Israeli forces initially prevented ambulances from reaching the scene, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. The military later towed the family car away, as documented by witnesses and shared on social media.

A police spokesperson stated the Bani Odeh family was killed during a joint operation with the Israeli military. Forces opened fire on the vehicle when they “perceived an immediate threat” after it accelerated, according to the statement.

When asked about the nature of the threat posed by the family, or whether the shooting violated Israeli rules of engagement, both the police and military declined to comment.

The police and military were in the area to “arrest wanted suspects believed to be involved in terrorist activity,” the statement continued. “The circumstances of the incident are under review by the relevant authorities.”

The Israeli military has command responsibility for all forces operating in occupied Palestine. A spokesperson stated border police killed the Bani Odeh family and deferred further questions to the police.