West Bank: Washington calls on Israel to conduct ‘urgent investigation’ into death of 17-year-old American

The incident did not leave Washington indifferent. The United States on Monday called on Israel to conduct an “urgent investigation” into the death of a 17-year-old Palestinian American killed Friday in the occupied West Bank.

Tawfik Abdeljabar Ajak, 17, was killed Friday by Israeli fire in al-Mazraa al-Sharqiyah, east of Ramallah in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Wafa Agency and the young man’s relatives. His funeral took place on Saturday.

“We continue to work closely with the Israeli government to obtain as much information as possible and have requested an urgent investigation to determine the circumstances of his death and establish responsibility,” US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters. press.

The circumstances of the incident are unclear

In response to an AFP question, Israeli army officials reported “an off-duty police officer and (a) civilian who opened fire in the direction of a Palestinian suspected of throwing stones.” The army said that “a soldier was in the area” and that “the allegation that (he) shot a Palestinian” was “being investigated.”

A US official said he was “devastated” by the death of the Palestinian teenager, who also has US citizenship, and repeated calls for de-escalation. “We have made clear the tragic escalation of violence in the West Bank and call on all parties to avoid escalation,” he said. He also said that the Bureau of Palestine Affairs, as well as the US Embassy in Jerusalem, had been in contact with the teenager’s family.

West Bank, a place of violence

The West Bank (occupied by Israel since 1967) is the scene of escalating violence in the Gaza Strip. Since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas, sparked by an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement on October 7 from its controlled Gaza Strip, Israeli security forces have stepped up their raids in the West Bank.

In the area, which is separated from the Gaza Strip by Israeli territory, more than 360 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army or Jewish settlers since October 7, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.