On 19 December, 80-year-old Palestinian grandmother Halima Abu Leil was shot in an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) raid on her neighbourhood in Balata refugee camp in Nablus, West Bank.
Two days later, Halima’s children told Sky News their mother was shot six times by Israeli special forces on her way to buy groceries. She died soon after.
Warning this piece includes an image from CCTV of the moment Halima Abu Leil was shot.
“They could see she is an elderly lady but they shot her six times – in her leg, in her chest. When she was first shot in her legs, she knelt on the ground,” her daughter said.
Image: Halima’s daughter
Newly released grainy CCTV footage shows the moment she was shot and reveals that a van marked as an ambulance was used during the surprise IDF raid.
Halima Abu Leil’s family want the footage to be seen.
Sky News’ Data & Forensics unit has analysed the CCTV and geolocated the street where the video was filmed. It is the exact location Halima’s son told us she “fell to her knees” as she was shot.
Three men are also walking down the street. There is no visible contact between them and Halima. Based on our analysis of their silhouettes, the figure in the middle appears to be holding a weapon. They are likely to be neighbourhood militants.
The three men veer to the right, moving into a sunny area. One takes a seat on some stairs, while the other two stand. They join someone sitting there already.
A few yards away, Halima stops in the middle of the street to speak to another woman with a shopping trolley.
An ambulance pulls into vision, separating the two women, and drives slowly down the street. A white van pulls in behind the medical vehicle.
A few moments later, the passenger door of the white van opens and a faint cloud of smoke is visible, suggesting that a gunshot is fired.
This is the moment Halima falls to her knees.
The men, some of them armed, scatter to the right and left into alleyways along with other people in the street.
A detailed analysis of the footage suggests that visible clouds of smoke on the walls are the result of multiple shots. The footage and imagery we gathered from the site of the killing shows bullet holes in the building next to where Halima was standing.
Image: The exact location Halima Abu Leil was shot in Balata Refugee Camp
The woman she was speaking to moments earlier takes cover in a doorway.
At the same time, figures who appear to be Israeli military forces exit the ambulance in the foreground. They are equipped with helmets, backpacks, rifles, and other gear.
Armed figures can also be seen leaving the white van in the background. They are seen aiming their weapons down the street.
Halima appears to get hit again and collapses to the floor. The men likely to be neighbourhood militants are not visibly present in the street when this happens.
At the time of our previous report, the IDF said they had conducted “counterterrorism activity” in Balata camp the morning Halima was killed.
We approached the IDF about the CCTV footage and the use of a medical vehicle to conduct their operation.
This was its response: “The IDF is committed to and operates in accordance with international law. The mentioned incident is under review. The review will examine the use of the vehicle shown in the video and the claims of harm to uninvolved individuals during the exchange of fire between the terrorists and our forces.”
The use of a marked medical vehicle for a security operation could be a contravention of the Geneva Convention and a war crime – as well as Halima’s killing.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on occupied Palestinian territory Francesca Albanese watched the CCTV video and told Sky News she was shocked but not surprised.
She says: “When I look at the footage, what emerges prima facie is that there were no precautions taken – within these operations whose legality is debatable – to avoid or spare civilian life. No principle of proportionality because there was wildfire directed at the identified target and ultimately no respect for the principle of distinction.
“So this was a murder in cold blood and could be a war crime as an extrajudicial killing.”
According to the United Nations Office of Human Rights in occupied Palestinian territory (OHCHR oPt), Israeli security forces and settlers have killed at least 813 mostly unarmed Palestinians, including 15 women and 177 children, since 7 October 2023.
In a statement to Sky News regarding Halima’s killing, the OHCHR oPT said: “Any deliberate killing by Israeli security forces of Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank who do not pose an imminent threat to life is unlawful under international human rights law and a war crime in the context of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian Territory.
“This incident must be investigated independently, effectively, thoroughly, and transparently. If there is evidence of violations of the applicable law enforcement standards, those responsible must be held to account.”
Sophie Alexander, international affairs producer, and Michelle Inez Simon, visual investigations producer, contributed reporting.
The Data and Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.
Two senior US officials are travelling to Saudi Arabia to initiate peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
Two sources familiar with the matter told Sky News’ US partner network NBC News that national security adviser Mike Waltz and special envoy Steve Witkoff are on their way to Saudi.
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said there had been an agreement to begin negotiations about ending the war in Ukraine, after holding phone calls with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
1:13
Zelenskyy warns against the ‘danger’ of the Russian army
The Ukrainian president alluded to the conversations at a security conference in Munich on Saturday, suggesting Europe should play a role in the negotiations as well.
“Ukraine will never accept deals made behind our backs without our involvement, and the same rule should apply to all of Europe,” Mr Zelenskyy said.
More on Donald Trump
Related Topics:
“A few days ago, President Trump told me about his conversation with Putin. Not once did he mention that America needs Europe at the table. That says a lot.”
However, on Saturday night, Mr Trump’s Ukraine envoy said Europe would not have a seat at the table for Ukraine peace talks.
Earlier, Washington sent a questionnaire to European capitals to ask what they could contribute to security guarantees for Kyiv.
“The old days are over when America supported Europe just because it always had,” said Mr Zelenskyy.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Following his call with President Putin, Mr Trump posted on Truth Social saying: “We both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
0:34
‘Unlikely’ Ukraine gets old borders back
Mr Trump had told White House reporters he did not see any way “that a country in Russia’s position” could allow Ukraineto join NATO and that it was unlikely Ukraine would get all of its occupied land back.
Mr Zelenskyy said the main issue was to “not allow everything to go according to Putin’s plan”.
It comes after UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told Mr Zelenskyy in recent days that Ukraine was still on an “irreversible path” to joining NATO.
A man has stabbed five people in southern Austria, including a 14-year-old boy who has died from his injuries.
The 23-year-old man attacked five passersby in Villach on Saturday afternoon, according to police.
Officers said the suspect is a Syrian national with legal residence in Austria and has been detained.
A 42-year old man, who was driving by and saw the incident from his car, drove towards the suspect and helped prevent things from getting worse, police spokesperson Rainer Dionisio told Austria’s public broadcaster ORF.
The victims were all male and aged between 14 and 32. Two were seriously injured and two sustained minor injuries, and the teenager died, police said.
Mr Dionisio said they had not yet determined a motive but were investigating the suspect’s background.
More on Austria
Related Topics:
“We have to wait until we get secure information,” he said.
The weekend attack shocked people in the city of Villach, a southern town in the province of Carinthia, which borders Italy and Slovenia.
Carinthia governor Peter Kaiser expressed his sympathy for the family of the teenage boy who was killed.
“This outrageous atrocity must be met with harsh consequences,” he said.
“I have always said with clarity and unambiguously – those who live in Carinthia, in Austria, have to respect the law and adjust to our rules and values.”
Police said it was unclear whether the suspect had been acting on his own or with other people, and are continuing to look for potential further suspects.
A mother and her two-year-old daughter have died – and more than 30 people were injured – after a car drove into a crowd in Munich, police have said.
The incident took place on Thursday at a square close to the city’s central train station at around 10.30am (9.30am UK time), officials said.
Here is everything we know:
What happened?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
0:30
Video shows aftermath of incident
The car – a cream-coloured Mini Cooper – was driven into the crowd on a street called Seidlstrasse in a central area of the city.
The crowd was taking part in a demonstration organised by a trade union, and a police car was following them as they walked, deputy police chief Christian Huber said.
Image: A map showing where the incident occurred
“Then a vehicle approached it from behind,” he added.
“It approached the police car to overtake it, and then accelerated and drove into the back of the demonstration.”
The badly damaged Mini could be seen after the attack along with items of clothing and bags, a broken pram, a shoe and a pair of glasses scattered across the floor.
Image: Police inspect damaged Mini after the incident. Pic: Reuters
Image: A sniffer dog inspects the vehicle. Pic: Reuters
A man was arrested at the scene after police fired a shot at the car vehicle.
What we know about the victims
Image: Emergency services at the scene. Pic: Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP
Police on Saturday said a 37-year-old mother from Munich and her daughter were the first fatalities from the incident.
Officials had earlier said a total of at least 36 people were injured.
In Friday’s news conference, they said one adult and one child were “very seriously injured” and eight other people were seriously injured.
Who is the suspect?
The man arrested was a 24-year-old Afghan national, Farhad N, who came to Germany as an asylum seeker.
Officials say Farhad N has lived in Munich since he arrived as an unaccompanied minor in 2016, and has no previous convictions.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
0:52
Police speak to media on day of attack
The man’s asylum application was rejected, but he had not been forced to leave due to security concerns in Afghanistan and he was in Germany legally with a work permit.
Prosecutors say he is now under investigation on 36 counts of attempted murder as well as bodily harm and dangerous interference with road traffic.
Do we know the motives?
At the news conference on Friday, prosecutor Gabriele Tilmann said the suspect appeared to have had a “religious motivation”.
In questioning, he “gave an explanation that I would summarise as religious motivation,” she said, adding the suspect shouted “Allahu Akbar”, or “God is great”, to police and then prayed after his arrest.
She said he admitted to police that he “deliberately drove into the participants of the demonstration”.
“I’m very cautious about making hasty judgements, but based on everything we know at the moment, I would venture to speak of an Islamist motivation for the crime,” she added.
Image: Police on the scene. Pic: Matthias Balk/picture-alliance/dpa/AP
Image: Pic: AP
She clarified that the authorities had no reason to believe that the perpetrator was affiliated with any Islamist or terrorist organisations and that they had not found any evidence of him having accomplices.
She said they were now looking through his devices to see “whether other people knew about the attack before it happened, or if he was part of a network”.
The incident happened shortly before world leaders including US vice president JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the southern city for the Munich Security Conference, which started on Friday.
But police have said the incident is not thought to be related to the conference.
Incident comes amid immigration tensions
Security and immigration have been in sharp focus in Germany ahead of a federal election next week and following a string of violent attacks, with the far-right party AfD party doing well in polls.
Two months ago, a Saudi doctor was accused of driving his car into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, killing six and injuring hundreds.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the Munich incident as a “terrible attack” and said the perpetrator “must be punished and he must leave the country”.
His comments come after the government said last year it was resuming flights for convicted criminals of Afghan nationality to their home country.
“It is very important for me to get the message across that anyone who commits crimes in Germany will not only be severely punished and sent to prison, they must also expect that they will not be able to continue their stay in Germany,” he said.
“That’s why I managed to get the government I lead to resume and carry out repatriations to Afghanistan, despite the lack of diplomatic relations,” he said.
He added: “We have already organised such a flight with criminals… we are also in the process of doing this in other cases. And not just once, but on an ongoing basis.
“This perpetrator cannot count on any leniency, he must be punished and he must leave the country.”