Warning - this article contains a graphic description of a shooting.

In the silence following the shootings, 12-year-old Khaled Bani Odeh believed he was the only survivor left from his family. Just moments before, Israeli forces shot his parents and two younger brothers through the windshield while they were returning home from a shopping trip in the occupied West Bank.

Khaled described one brother, Othman, a seven-year-old who was blind and disabled, being killed while sitting on his mother's lap. Reflecting on the traumatic event, Khaled said, My mother cried out one last time before going quiet. My father recited the Shahada as he died.

As the soldiers attempted to remove his only surviving brother, Mustafa, from the car, Khaled intervened. Instead, soldiers dragged him out and began beating him, accusing him of lying about who had been in the vehicle.

The tragedy unfolded late at night as the family returned from shopping and dinner; in the village of Tammun, near Tubas. The Israeli army claimed they were conducting operations to arrest individuals suspected of terrorism in the area.

According to the army's account, the Bani Odeh family's car purportedly accelerated toward the forces, prompting the lethal response. However, witnesses disputed this claim, asserting that the family’s car had come to a stop before any shots were fired.

A resident who observed the event from his window stated that the car had halted completely when the shooting commenced, contradicting the official narrative of imminent danger. He reported hearing women scream and children cry but saw no warning shots before the attack.

The accounts from emergency responders aligned with those of the witnesses, detailing a chaotic scene filled with bullet casings and heavy gunfire directed at the car. More than 50 casings were collected by residents following the incident.

In light of the ongoing violence in the West Bank, Khaled's grandmother highlighted a worrying trend, expressing dismay over the rising aggression faced by Palestinian families from both soldiers and settlers since the recent conflict escalated after the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.

The UN reported that over 1,000 Palestinians, including a significant number of children, have been killed during this period, underscoring the urgent need for international attention and action regarding the humanitarian crisis in the region.