Layla al-Khatib
Layla al-Khatib died from a gunshot wound to the head after Israeli soldiers fired into her family's home on the evening of 25 January 2025. She was seated on her mother's lap while the family sheltered indoors when bullets entered the apartment through the windows. Layla was critically injured and taken first to a medical center in Qabatiya and then to a-Razi Hospital in Jenin, where doctors were unable to save her life and she was pronounced dead.
According to the information provided, Israeli soldiers entered the village of Muthallath a-Shuhada on the evening of 25 January 2025 and occupied a neighboring house across from Layla's family home. As Layla's family prepared to eat dinner, they heard gunfire outside and moved to the floor inside their apartment for safety. Layla, who was only two years old, remained on her mother Taymaa al-Khatib's lap. Moments later, Israeli soldiers opened fire toward the family's apartment. Bullets penetrated the windows, striking Layla in the head and injuring her mother Taymaa and her aunt Shaymaa with shrapnel. Her grandparents rushed the bleeding child downstairs and sought help. They transported her by a civilian vehicle to a medical center in Qabatiya, from where a Red Crescent ambulance transferred her to a-Razi Hospital in Jenin. Despite emergency medical treatment, Layla succumbed to the severe head injury. The Israeli military later stated that soldiers believed a wanted individual was inside the building and that the incident would be investigated. However, the family's testimony stated that they heard no evacuation warnings directed at their apartment and that no wanted person was inside their home.
Biography
Layla al-Khatib was a two-year-old Palestinian girl who lived with her mother and extended family in the village of Muthallath a-Shuhada in the Jenin District of the occupied West Bank. She was a young child spending time with her family at home when her life was cut short during an Israeli military operation. Her death became one of the documented cases involving the killing of Palestinian children in the West Bank.
Layla al-Khatib was a two-year-old Palestinian child who lived with her widowed mother, Taymaa al-Khatib, and members of her extended family in the village of Muthallath a-Shuhada near Jenin. She spent her early childhood surrounded by her mother, grandparents, and aunts in a close-knit family home. On the evening of 25 January 2025, Layla was sitting peacefully on her mother's lap while the family prepared to eat dinner. When gunfire erupted outside, the family moved to shelter inside the apartment, believing they would be safer indoors. During the shooting, Layla was struck in the head by a bullet that entered the apartment through the windows. Her mother and aunt were also injured by shrapnel. Layla's grandparents immediately carried her from the apartment and sought emergency medical assistance, but despite efforts by medical personnel, she died from her injuries. Her death deeply affected her family and became a widely cited example of the impact of military operations on children in the occupied West Bank.
Pleas of Surviving Relatives and Family if any
Layla's family publicly appealed for accountability and an end to the killing of children. Her mother, Taymaa al-Khatib, described the terrifying moments when Layla was shot while sitting on her lap and recalled hearing an Israeli soldier apologize after seeing the injured child. Her grandfather, Bassam 'As'us, confronted an Israeli officer, asking, "Why did you kill the child?" He said the officer responded, "I'm sorry, she was hit by mistake." After Layla's death, Bassam expressed the family's grief and called for an end to such incidents, saying, "This is a small example of what is happening to our people. What is the aim of this? Is it an aim of the Israeli government to kill our children? Please let Layla's story mark an end to the killing of more children and killing humanity." T
Additional Information
Layla al-Khatib died from a gunshot wound to the head after Israeli soldiers fired into her family’s home on the evening of 25 January 2025. She was seated on her mother’s lap while the family sheltered indoors when bullets entered the apartment through the windows. Layla was critically injured and taken first to a medical center in Qabatiya and then to a-Razi Hospital in Jenin, where doctors were unable to save her life and she was pronounced dead.
Sources & References
How children in West Bank are being killed by Israel ‘without accountability’1 theguardian.com Open source
Soldiers fired at a home, killing a two-year-old and injuring her mother and aunt2 btselem.org Open source