This Week In History: 12-year-old Palestinian boy Muhammad al-Durrah is shot to death in his father’s arms by Israeli troops
On September 30, 2000, the second day of the second intifada, the father and son were caught in a cross fire and hid behind a concrete cylinder. For 45 minutes Jamal al-Durrah shielded his son from Israeli fire as several bullets narrowly missed them. He desperately waved and shouted: “Don’t shoot!” but to no avail.
Muhammad al-Durrah was shot four times and eventually slumped across his father’s legs, who was also shot and lost consciousness.
An ambulance driver who tried to rescue the boy and his father was also killed, along with a jeep driver, and a second ambulance driver was wounded. Muhammad lay bleeding for at least 17 minutes before an ambulance was able to pick them up.