Footage reviewed by The Guardian sheds light on the tragic killing of Ayman al-Hammouni, highlighting his final moments before being shot by Israeli forces.
Palestinian child Nassar al-Hammouni was killed by Israeli gunfire without posing any threats to soldiers, the British newspaper The Guardian confirmed on Saturday, after watching security camera footage from the scene.
12-year-old Ayman was killed by Israeli occupation forces in Hebron (Al-Khalil) on Friday 21, as he was visiting family in the Jabal Jawhar area.
According to footage reviewed by The Guardian, Ayman and his family were walking on a street when Israeli soldiers advanced on the area.
At around 6:30 PM, Ayman, along with his younger brother Aysar and their mother, Anwar, arrived at their uncle Tariq’s house after running an errand to their grandfather’s flat, The Guardian reported.
The family was in the middle of a visit when a commotion broke out on the main road 60 meters away. “A shot was heard, and people began to run,” the report stated.
12-year-old Ayman al-Hammouni was killed by Israeli gunfire in Hebron on Friday, 21st, without posing any threat to soldiers. According to footage reviewed by The Guardian, Ayman and his family were walking in the street as Israeli forces advanced. #Palestine #AymanAlHammouni… pic.twitter.com/6XoKNsmAH5
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) March 1, 2025
After the first shot, the scene was captured by two security cameras from different angles. Ayman was reportedly seen standing near a white car with a brown bag slung over his shoulder, witnessing the unfolding chaos.
As the family sought cover, Ayman was seen running into the gate of his uncle’s house. “Then another shot rang out from down the alleyway,” the Guardian noted. It was at this moment that Ayman was likely struck.
Moments after the shooting, the footage shows Ayman collapsing at the entrance of his uncle’s house. His uncle, Nadeem, rushed to him but realized that it was too late. “I went to pick him up but I could tell he was already gone,” Nadeem told the British paper.
Security cameras show three Israeli soldiers advancing up the alley shortly after the shooting. One of them pointed a bright torch toward the group of people, including Ayman’s family, who had been scattering for cover. Ayman’s body was reportedly left lying on the ground between a car and a garden wall. The soldiers briefly examined the scene before calmly walking away, according to the footage.
“The bullet entered his back and lodged in his lungs,” Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCIP), reported, based on medical sources.
According to the report, Nassar, Ayman’s father, was working in Ramallah when he received the news of his son’s death. He told the Guardian that an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint began to taunt him, claiming to have been the one who shot Ayman. “Convince me that I shot him for nothing. We hope that you will follow your son,” the soldier reportedly said.
The Israeli army did not respond to questions about Ayman’s death, the Guardian noted.
The paper also stated that Israeli human rights groups have warned that accountability for such killings remains extremely rare. Yesh Din, a prominent Israeli human rights organization, found that the likelihood of an Israeli soldier facing prosecution for killing Palestinians is just 0.4%, citing the near-absence of meaningful consequences in such cases.
“It is about rage and revenge,” Nassar al-Hammouni reflected. “They don’t care if it’s a child, or a woman, or an old person. No one’s safe anymore.”
(The Palestine Chronicle)
