A 17-year-old Palestinian-American was fatally shot in the head by Israeli forces in the West Bank on Friday, Palestinian officials said.
The teenager, identified as Tawfiq Ajjaq, was born and raised in Gretna, La., just across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, relatives said.
His parents said they had taken him and his four siblings to live in the Palestinian town of al-Mazra’a ash-Sharqiya – where he was killed – last year to reconnect with their Palestinian heritage.
WAFA, the official news agency of the Palestinian National Authority, reported that the victim was shot in the head and died.
His family confirmed his death to reporters.
Footage of the teenager’s funeral on Saturday showed hundreds of Palestinian men carrying the teenager’s body through the streets of the village.
Speaking to reporters, the boy’s father, Hassan Zeben, condemned Israel’s war and expressed anger at its continued impact on Palestinian civilians.
Mourners surrounded the body of Tawfiq Ajjaq, 17, the American-Palestinian who was shot in the West Bank by Israeli forces on Friday, according to Palestinian officials. Reuters
“Come here and see what’s going on. Come here and test, see for yourself, what kind of life we live here, what pressure they put on us,” CBS reported.
“How many fathers and mothers have to say goodbye to their children. How much more?”
The State Department confirmed to CBS News that an American citizen had died but declined to provide additional comment, saying, “We are working to understand the circumstances of the incident and have asked the Israeli government for more information.”
The Post reached out to the State Department for additional details but did not hear back Sunday.
Asked about Friday’s shooting, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the White House was “deeply concerned” about the report of the teenager’s death but acknowledged that the exact circumstances surrounding it were still unknown.
“The information is lacking at the moment; we don’t have the perfect context of what’s going on here,” Kirby told reporters, promising US officials would be in “continuous contact” with their regional counterparts for additional information.
In a statement Friday, the Israel Police Spokesperson Unit said, “An incident report was received regarding the discharge of a firearm, allegedly involving an off-duty law enforcement officer, a soldier and a civilian,” CBS said.
The White House said it was “deeply concerned” by reports of the teenager’s death. Reuters
The gunfire was “targeted at a perceived threat,” which a police statement described as Palestinians throwing stones from the side of the highway.
The Israel Defense Forces told CBS that “allegations that soldiers shot Palestinians are being investigated.”
Israel has rejected calls by the US to reduce the incessant bombardment of Palestinian-held territory, which began on October 7 after Hamas launched a surprise missile attack on the country in which 1,200 Israelis, including many civilians, were killed.
Recent divisions have emerged among senior Israeli officials over the direction of the war, which is now in its fourth month.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
