Israeli forces kill Palestinian couple and two of their children in occupied West Bank

A Palestinian husband and wife, and two of their young children, have been shot and killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.

The Bani Odeh family were travelling in their car in the town of Tammum, in the northern West Bank, when Israeli forces opened fire.

Two of their other children were injured but survived.

Israeli authorities said a joint operation by the army and Israel's paramilitary border police was taking place in the town at time.

They claim the car accelerated towards Israeli forces, who felt endangered and responded by shooting.

"As a result, four Palestinians in the vehicle were killed," a statement from the Israeli military and police said, adding that the circumstances of the incident were being investigated.

The Palestinian health ministry said that four of the family members, parents Ali and Waad, and two of their children, five-year-old Mohammed and seven-year-old Othman, were killed.

They all arrived at the hospital with gunshot wounds to the face and head, the ministry said.

Two older children aged eight and 11, who were also travelling in the car and witnessed the deaths of their family, survived with minor injuries from shrapnel.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said in statement that Israeli forces initially prevented their crews from reaching the injured inside the car and ordered them to leave the area.

The UN says much of the occupied West Bank has remained under heightened movement restrictions since the outbreak of the war between the US, Israel and Iran on 28 February.

Violent attacks have also continued, according to Palestinian authorities and the UN.

More broadly, violence there has risen sharply since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks, which triggered the war in Gaza.

Between 7 October 2023 and 8 March 2026, the UN's humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, said 1,064 Palestinians were killed in the occupied West Bank, including at least 231 children.