Three-year-old Palestinian boy dies from Israeli gunfire

A three-year-old Palestinian boy, Mohammed Haitham al-Tamimi, who was shot by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank last week, succumbed to his wounds on Monday, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials. 

Despite extensive efforts by the medical team at Sheba Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment since the shooting on Thursday, the child could not be saved.

The Palestinian health ministry confirmed the tragic news, stating that Mohammed, from the village of Nabi Saleh, had passed away. 

The Israeli army released a statement claiming that "assailants fired in the direction of the community of Neveh Tzuf," a settlement located south of Nabi Saleh. In response, nearby soldiers fired multiple bullets, resulting in the injury of two Palestinians, including the three-year-old, they added.

Mohammed and his father, Haitham al-Tamimi, who was also wounded, were transported to Sheba Hospital by helicopter for urgent medical care. 

On Monday, Mohammed's body was transferred to a hospital in Ramallah in preparation for his funeral, which was scheduled to take place the following day. Laila Ghannam, the Governor of Ramallah and Al-Bireh, condemned the shooting as a "double crime" and expressed gratitude that there were not two funerals being held.

Haitham, the father of the young victim, recounted the incident, stating that he and his son were in the car, planning to visit family when they were suddenly fired upon. He believed the shots came from a military tower and shared his account from his hospital bed.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has caused significant loss of life, with at least 156 Palestinians, 21 Israelis, one Ukrainian, and one Italian killed in violence since the beginning of the year, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources. The casualties include both combatants and civilians, as well as three members of the Arab minority on the Israeli side.