Israeli forces fatally shoot three-year-old Palestinian boy in Gaza

Israeli Forces Shoot and Kill Three-Year-Old Boy in Gaza

A three-year-old boy, Rayan Abu al-Ajeen, was shot and killed by Israeli forces on Sunday while being carried by his father, Bahaa, in central Gaza. The incident occurred in the Wadi al-Salqa area of Deir el-Balah governorate.

According to family members, the father and son were traveling in areas outside of the designated ‘Yellow Line’, which is under the control of the Israeli military. They were heading towards their greenhouses when the shooting took place.

Jaber Abu al-Ajeen, Rayan’s grandfather, reported that he was at home next to the family farm when he heard gunfire and discovered that his son Bahaa and another relative had been targeted. He later found out that Rayan had been killed by a gunshot wound to the head.

Bahaa, the father, was also shot in the leg and is being treated in hospital. Family members are expressing concern for his condition, as well as that of their other relatives who were with him at the time of the incident.

The Israeli military has not commented on the shooting. The incident is part of a larger pattern of violence in Gaza, which has seen almost 1,000 Palestinian deaths since an October ceasefire. Since the beginning of Israel’s conflict in Gaza in October 2023, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed.

Source: Al Jazeera