Officials said Israeli forces opened fire on a car in the West Bank, resulting in the deaths of four members of a Palestinian family.

According to local authorities, the incident occurred after Israeli forces shot at the vehicle, though details surrounding the circumstances of the shooting remain unclear. The event has added to rising tensions in the region, where violence has increased in recent months.

Palestinian officials reported that four members of the same family, including two young boys aged 5 and 7, were killed after Israeli soldiers opened fire on their car in the West Bank. The family had reportedly gone for a late-night drive after breaking their daily Ramadan fast.

Israel’s military said its soldiers fired at the vehicle because they believed the movement of the car posed a threat. The incident comes amid a growing number of deadly events in the occupied Palestinian territory, where Palestinians have been killed in clashes involving Israeli soldiers or settlers.

According to reports, 37-year-old Ali Bani Odeh and his 35-year-old wife Wa’ed Bani Odeh had taken their four sons for a drive and were returning home from the city of Nablus. One of the surviving children, 11-year-old Khaled Bani Odeh, said the family suddenly came under fire.

In his account from the hospital, Khaled said that gunshots were suddenly directed at their vehicle and that they did not know where the shooting was coming from.

“My father was saying the shahada (the Islamic declaration of faith, which Muslims cite when facing death) and raised his finger. My mother was screaming and then went silent.”

Footage from the aftermath of the shooting shows bullets strewn across the road and what appear to be blood stains as well.

“I tried to turn over my brother Mohammed, but I was unable,” Khaled said, adding, “there is no one left other than me and my brother Mustafa.”