Funeral held for a baby shot dead by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank

BBC Middle East reports that an 11-month-old baby was killed during an Israeli military operation in a village near Nablus, in the West Bank, and that the funeral was held in the village square. The Palestinian Health Ministry says two adults were also wounded in the incident, with hospital reports being prepared alongside a chain-of-evidence record of cartridge cases collected at the scene.

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the operation began as a "suspect search" and that following stone-throwing from below, troops responded with a "proportionate response to a threat element". The family's lawyer, speaking to the BBC, said an independent investigation was being requested and that a formal submission was being prepared at the Israeli Supreme Court. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is preparing a written statement on the incident.

The Palestinian Presidency's office said 27 children have now been killed in military operations in the West Bank over the past six months, a figure attributed to it in the BBC report. The European Union's special representative issued a statement calling for an independent investigation of the deaths. The case has brought the humanitarian situation in the region back onto Europe's diplomatic agenda.