Gaza Family Says Israeli Gunfire Killed Three-Year-Old Rayan Abu al-Ajeen

DEIR EL-BALAH, Gaza Strip – A Palestinian family says Israeli troops killed a three-year-old child in central Gaza while his father was carrying him.

Rayan Abu al-Ajeen was hit by gunfire on Sunday afternoon in Wadi al-Salqa, in the Deir el-Balah governorate. His body was brought to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital on Monday.

His father, Bahaa, was also struck in the leg and remains under hospital care.

According to the family, Bahaa and Rayan had been moving through areas beyond the so-called “Yellow Line”, which are not under direct Israeli military control, and were on their way to the family’s greenhouses when the shooting took place.

Rayan’s grandfather, Jaber Abu al-Ajeen, said he was at his home beside the family farm when he heard shots. He later learned that Bahaa and another relative walking with him had come under fire, and then discovered that Rayan had died.

“My grandson, Rayan, was killed by a gunshot to the head; the bullet entered his head and exited through his eye,” Jaber told Al Jazeera. “His mother is devastated by what happened.”

Jaber said Bahaa was moved into an area controlled by the Israeli army and was left bleeding for seven hours before he was taken to hospital for treatment.

“We are still deeply worried about Bahaa’s condition, as he is not yet stable after bleeding for hours, and the condition of his leg is very serious.”

The Israeli military has not yet issued a response to the shooting.

Israeli attacks in Gaza have continued since the October ceasefire, with almost 1,000 Palestinians killed in that period. Since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed.

Many deaths have occurred near the “Yellow Line”, which Israel has continued to widen despite the terms of the ceasefire deal.

Jaber said the family has remained anxious for a long time because their land sits close to that line.

“We have lived in this area for a long time,” he said. “We are mere civilians working in agriculture, and all our lands are located outside of the ‘Yellow Line’.