A Palestinian family of four, including two young children, was killed in Tammun, northern West Bank, on Saturday evening during an incident involving Israeli forces. The victims were identified as Ali Bani Odeh, 37, his wife Waad Bani Odeh, 35, and their children Mohammed, 5, and Othman, 7.
Israeli military and police stated that forces opened fire after a vehicle accelerated toward them, posing an immediate threat, while Palestinian accounts describe the family returning from a shopping trip when their vehicle was shot without warning.
Tragic Incident in Tammun
The incident occurred in Tammun, a town in the northern West Bank, on Saturday evening when the family's vehicle was reportedly engaged by Israeli forces. The four deceased family members sustained fatal gunshot wounds, primarily to the head and face. Ali Bani Odeh, who was driving, also had wounds to the chest and left hand.
According to family and local accounts, the Bani Odeh family was returning from a Ramadan shopping trip in Nablus, having purchased clothing for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday.
A neighbor and cousin alleged that the gunmen were an undercover unit driving a car with Palestinian license plates and that forces opened fire without warning. The surviving child, Khaled, also stated the gunfire was sudden and without warning. Tammun’s Mayor confirmed the shooting occurred in the town’s center, an area with a daily Israeli military presence.
Israeli Military Statement
A joint statement from the Israeli military and police confirmed the incident, stating that forces were operating in Tammun to arrest individuals accused of "terrorist activity." They reported that a vehicle accelerated towards them, leading forces to perceive an immediate threat and open fire. The Israeli military and police have stated that the circumstances of the incident are under investigation.
Survivors and Aftermath
Two of the family's children, Khaled (identified as 11 or 12 years old) and Mustafa, survived the shooting. Both reportedly sustained shrapnel wounds, including to the eye and head.
Khaled recounted hearing his mother crying and his father praying before they died. He claims Israeli border police dragged him from the car, verbally abused him, and physically assaulted him, stating that an Israeli individual said, "we killed dogs."
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that its paramedics were initially prevented from accessing the scene to provide medical aid, accusing Israeli forces of delaying ambulances. The four deceased family members were received by health workers at a local hospital approximately an hour after the incident. The family's car was later towed away.
The Israeli human rights group B’tselem stated the Odeh family’s car was riddled with bullets and that Israeli forces "violently interrogated" one of the wounded surviving children.
Broader Regional Context
This incident occurred amid an increase in violence and heightened tensions in the occupied West Bank.
Casualties
Various reports indicate that at least 8 to 11 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli settlers and soldiers in the West Bank since late February. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded 18 Palestinian deaths in the occupied West Bank since the beginning of 2026, with eight attributed to Israeli settlers.
Movement Restrictions
Since February 28, Israeli authorities have implemented movement restrictions across the West Bank. These measures have involved the intermittent closure of numerous gates and checkpoints, which the Palestinian Red Crescent stated have made movement and emergency response more challenging.
Related Incidents
Earlier on the same day, Amir Moatassem Odeh, 28, was reportedly shot and killed by Israeli settlers in Qusra, south of Nablus, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. His father was also reported to have been stabbed and hospitalized. Israeli rights group Yesh Din documented 109 incidents of settler violence in dozens of Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank since February 28.
Accountability Concerns
Human rights groups have raised concerns regarding accountability. B’tselem commented on the lack of effective mechanisms for accountability, while Yesh Din reported that indictments against soldiers accused of harming Palestinians are rare, occurring in fewer than 1% of 2,427 complaints between 2016 and 2024.
The head of the UN’s human rights office in the occupied Palestinian territories stated that these incidents demonstrate a 'pattern of disregard for Palestinian lives,' linking them to impunity.
Contemporaneous Gaza Airstrike
Separately, in the Gaza Strip, health officials reported that an Israeli airstrike on Sunday killed three people – a man, his pregnant wife, and their son – in the Nuseirat area of the central Gaza Strip. This incident reportedly brings the death toll of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in the enclave to at least 26 since late February. There was no immediate Israeli response to this specific report.