A Palestinian family’s joyful pre-Eid shopping trip ended in tragedy when undercover Israeli special forces opened fire on their vehicle in the West Bank town of Tammun, killing both parents and two of their children in a controversial shooting that has drawn international condemnation.
On Saturday evening, Ali Bani Odeh, 37, was driving home with his wife Waad, 35, and their four children after purchasing new Eid al-Fitr clothing in Nablus. The children were enthusiastically describing their new outfits to their visually impaired brother Othman when Israeli forces, traveling in an unmarked civilian vehicle, intercepted their car and unleashed a barrage of gunfire near the western entrance of Tammun.
The shooting resulted in the immediate deaths of both parents and two children—Mohammad, 5, and Othman, 7—each sustaining fatal head wounds. Survivors Mustafa, 8, and Khaled, 12, both suffered shrapnel injuries to their faces and heads during the incident.
Eyewitness accounts and survivor testimonies describe disturbing aftermath treatment by Israeli soldiers. The two surviving children were forcibly removed from the vehicle, made to lie on the cold, wet ground for interrogation, and subsequently subjected to physical abuse and psychological torment. Khaled recounted to reporters how one soldier punched him in the face when he questioned why they killed his parents.
Medical personnel faced significant obstacles in responding to the incident. Palestinian ambulance crews were prevented from reaching the scene for approximately thirty minutes despite the critical condition of the survivors. When finally permitted access, paramedics discovered the vehicle riddled with dozens of bullet holes, with all fatal wounds concentrated in the head and upper torso regions.
The Israeli military and police issued a joint statement claiming the vehicle “accelerated toward the forces, who perceived an immediate threat to their safety and responded with gunfire.” This explanation has been met with skepticism by local authorities and human rights observers.
The incident has drawn parallels to the June 2024 killing of six-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza, highlighting what Palestinian officials describe as a pattern of excessive force against civilians. Since October 2023, Israeli forces have killed 44 Palestinians in the Tubas district alone, including numerous children.
Local municipality member Najeh Bani Odeh, who also serves as a paramedic, emphasized the particular danger posed by undercover Israeli units: “They operate in civilian vehicles, so people don’t notice them and behave normally when they pass by. If the soldiers inside feel threatened, they open fire immediately.”
The tragedy has left the community of Tammun, home to approximately 15,000 Palestinians, in mourning as they prepare for Eid celebrations under the shadow of what local residents describe as an ongoing occupation marked by frequent military raids and settler violence.