Palestinians mourn 2-year-old child Mohammad Tamimi killed by Israeli forces

Thousands of Palestinians took part on Tuesday in the funeral of a Palestinian 2-year-old child who died of wounds shot in the head by Israeli forces last week in the village of Nabi Saleh, west of Ramallah.

Last Thursday, Israeli forces opened fire at a car where the toddler, Mohammad Tamimi, travelled with his family, minutes after unknown gunmen had opened fire at an Israeli military outpost. The toddler's father, Haitham Tamimi, was wounded and transferred to a Palestinian hospital in Ramallah, while the toddler was taken to a nearby hospital.

Two-year-old Mohammad Haitham Ibrahim Tamimi died around 2 pm today after Israeli forces shot him in the head with live ammunition on June 1 in Nabi Saleh, northwest of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. He is the 20th Palestinian child shot and killed by Israeli forces in 2023. pic.twitter.com/xWnwt1mSKk

— Defense for Children (@DCIPalestine) June 5, 2023

Israeli media quoted the Israeli army claiming that the family's car was targeted "by mistake" during the pursuit of Palestinian fighters who had opened fire at the Israeli outpost.

"We were about to leave the house to the birthday of my niece, and my husband had bought a cake," Mohammad Tamimi's mother told Palestinian media on Tuesday. "I was still in the house, finishing a prayer and getting ready, while my husband was already in the car with our son", she detailed. "Suddenly, the shooting started from the occupation's watchtower, close to our house", she continued.

"They continued to shoot and shot at the car wounding my husband, who didn't realize he was wounded as he shouted to watch out for little Mohammad," she said. "I was already outside, so I ran away from the car, while my husband was bleeding with my son in his lap, and he continued to shout Mohammad's name."

The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the killing of Mohammad Tamimi and called for an investigation into his killing.

(1/2) I condemn and am deeply saddened by the death of a 2-year old Palestinian boy, who was critically injured by Israeli security forces’ gunfire in Al-Nabi Saleh two days ago. IDF said they were responding to a shooting from the area by Palestinian gunmen…

— Tor Wennesland (@TWennesland) June 5, 2023

For his side, the UN envoy for the Middle East, Tor Wennesland, also condemned the killing of Mohammad Tamimi, adding that "civilians, particularly children, continue to bear the brunt of this conflict" and called "for those responsible to be held to account".

With the killing of Mohammad Tamimi, the number of Palestinian children killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of the year rises to 28, of whom seven were killed during the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip, last month.