 As the fragile ceasefire in Gaza holds, despite Israel continuously violating it, the Israeli Defense Forces have ramped up their operations in the West Bank. Another child tragically made headlines 11 days ago, on January 28th, when he was shot by an Israeli sniper during a raid on Tulkarm. The last name in the headlines was a familiar one, Rajab. Rajab is a common family name across the Arab world; hence, Hind and Saddam are not directly related; in a harrowing display of impunity, the two children shared the experience of being targeted by the IDF simply because they are both Palestinians. Hind and Saddam are not connected by familial ties, but by the systematic violence that the IDF inflicts on the Palestinian population as a whole. On Monday, January 27th, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a new raid into Tulkarm in the northern occupied West Bank. The Palestinian News and Information Agency, WAFA, reported that Israeli soldiers were stationed in front of the Martyr Dr. Thabet Thabet Hospital, obstructing the work of ambulances while interrogating their medical crews. WAFA also reported that IDF snipers were not only deployed on the roofs of several buildings and homes, but had also seized dozens of civilian homes, both inside and outside of Tulkarm camp, turning them into military outposts. Meanwhile, other soldiers blew up several shops, houses, and local properties. The Shooting of Saddam RajabOn Tuesday, January 28th, the second day of the renewed raid on Tulkarm, CCTV Footage captured the moment that an Israeli sniper shot 10-year-old Saddam Rajab in the abdomen and left him to bleed out. The footage shows that Saddam posed no threat to the IDF, and was clearly recognizable as a child by his stature. For the next two minutes, Saddam Rajab lay on the ground, while the IDF refused to intervene. When Saddam’s Father, Iyad Rajab, attempted to rescue his son, he was assaulted by IDF soldiers. In a statement to the Defense for Children International- Palestine (DCIP), Iyad spoke of the harrowing event: “When I carried him in my arms, I found that more than 20 Israeli soldiers surrounded me within moments, as some of them assaulted me with severe beatings, punches, and blows using their hands, feet, and rifle butts. I was carrying my son in my arms, and I was telling them to hit me and do whatever you want, but let me take my son for treatment.” According to the DCIP, Israeli forces proceeded to detain Saddam’s father for an hour shortly after Palestinian Paramedics placed Saddam in an ambulance. It was revealed that the bullet entered through Saddam’s waist, tearing through his intestines and injuring his pancreas and other vital organs in the abdomen. The bullet then exited from his chest. Saddam is now in critical condition after undergoing three hours of surgery at the Martyr Dr. Thabet Thabet Hospital. After the operation, Saddam was transported to the Rafidia Surgical Hospital in Nablus, but before reaching to the hospital, the Israeli forces once again detained the ambulance that was transporting Saddam. During the ambulance’s detention, Saddam’s father was told by an Israeli soldier: “I am the one who shot your son. God willing, he will die.” On February 7th, the DCIP announced that Saddam Rajab tragically succumbed to his wounds after being transferred once again to the Al-Istishari Hospital in Ramallah, West Bank. According to the DCIP, Saddam is the 12th child to have been killed by the Israeli Defense Forces in 2025. A War On ChildrenThis haunting instance is morbidly common conduct for the IDF. After the killing of Hind Rajab, doctors in Gaza continued to report that Israeli snipers were directly targeting children. This is also not an uncommon occurrence in the West Bank. On the 25th of January, Israeli soldiers shot two-year-old Laila Khatib in the town of Muthallath Al-Shuhada, south of Jenin. When the IDF is allowed to continue acting with impunity, it directly harms and kills children. The perpetrators of such heinous crimes must be brought to justice, and the Israeli government must be held accountable for its actions. Coinciding with the announcement of the death of Saddam Rajab, a statement published by Save the Children on February 7th highlighted the haunting fact that nearly half of all child killings in the West Bank since records began in 2005 have happened in the past two years.  Comments are closed.
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