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

2024-01-23 02:52:48

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

Tawfiq Abdeljabar Ajaq, 17, was killed Friday by Israeli fire in Al-Mazraa Al-Sharqiya, east of Ramallah, in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Wafa agency and relatives of the young man. 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,” said a spokesperson for the US State Department, Vedant Patel, spoke to the press.

The circumstances of the incident are unclear

Questioned by AFP, the Israeli army reported “an off-duty police officer and (a) civilian who fired in the direction of a Palestinian suspected of throwing stones”. The army said that a “soldier was in the area” and that “the assertion that (he) shot the Palestinian” was “under investigation.”

The American spokesperson said he was “devastated” by the death of this Palestinian teenager who also has American nationality, and reiterated a call for de-escalation. “We have been clear about the tragic escalation of violence in the West Bank and we call on all parties to avoid escalations,” he said. He also said that the Palestinian Affairs Bureau, as well as the United States Embassy in Jerusalem, had been in contact with the teenager’s family.

The West Bank, scene of violence

The West Bank (occupied by Israel since 1967) is the scene of an escalation of violence on the sidelines of the war in the Gaza Strip. Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, triggered on October 7 by an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement carried out from the Gaza Strip which it controls, Israeli security forces have intensified their raids in the West Bank.

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