Teen Targets Baby in Stroller: Jerusalem’s Shocking Rock-Throwing Attack
A 17-year-old from Jerusalem’s Isawiya was arrested for throwing a rock at a six-month-old’s stroller in French Hill after verbally attacking the infant’s parents, prompting police action and public outcry. The incident, seen as part of rising violence in the area, raises fears of escalating threats from youth targeting civilians.
On August 24, 2025, a 17-year-old resident of Jerusalem’s Isawiya neighbourhood was arrested for throwing a rock at a six-month-old baby’s stroller in the French Hill shopping center, following a verbal altercation with the infant’s parents. The incident, which police described as a deliberate act of violence, prompted swift action from the Shalem police station and Border Police, who used Jerusalem District command center surveillance to identify and locate the suspect at his home in Isawiya. The teenager reportedly cursed the baby’s parents before hurling the rock at the stroller and fleeing the scene. He was apprehended and taken for questioning at the Shalem station, with the Magistrate’s Court extending his detention until August 28, 2025, to allow further investigation.
Police stated, “The suspect cursed the baby’s parents at the shopping center, then hurled a rock at the stroller she sat in before fleeing the scene.” The incident, which caused no reported injuries, has heightened concerns about rising violence in Jerusalem’s mixed neighbourhoods. French Hill, a predominantly Jewish area adjacent to Isawiya, has seen similar incidents, including a 2016 attack on a woman and child and a 2021 rock-throwing assault injuring a seven-month-old. The arrest comes amid a broader wave of tensions, with over 1,000 rock-throwing incidents reported in Jerusalem since October 2023, per police data, often linked to Palestinian youth targeting Israeli civilians or vehicles.
The case has sparked outrage, with some labelling it an act of terror reflective of deep-seated hatred. Critics argue that such violence, especially targeting a defenseless infant, signals a dangerous trajectory for the suspect, who could pose a greater threat as he matures. The incident echoes past controversies, such as the 2014 detention of a minor from Isawiya for rock-throwing, deemed illegal due to the age of criminal responsibility. Community leaders urge stronger measures to curb such acts, fearing escalation from stones to more lethal attacks, a concern amplified by the region’s history of unrest.