By Blessing Chinagorom
The United States has called on the Government of Israel to ascertain as much information as possible over the killing of a 17-year-old American citizen, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar in the West Bank.
The calling was made by the Deputy Spokesperson for State Department, Vedant Patel at the Press Briefing on Monday while urged for urgent investigation to determine circumstance of his death and accountability be met as appropriate as well.
According to him, “We are devastated about the killing of 17-year-old U.S. citizen Tawfic Abdel Jabbar in the West Bank. We continue to engage closely with the Government of Israel to ascertain as much information as possible.
“And we have called for an urgent investigation to determine the circumstance of his death and accountability be met as appropriate as well. We also have been clear for quite some time over the tragic escalation in violence in the West Bank, and call on all parties to avoid escalations”.
He noted that the Chief of the Office of Palestinian Affairs, George Noll had the opportunity to visit with the family and offered his condolences.
“And will plan to continue to stay in touch with them over the course of this process over this tragic loss. Our embassy in Jerusalem also has been in touch with the family and is providing all appropriate consular services”, he said.
Seventeen-year-old Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, a US citizen, was fatally shot near the town of Al Mazraa Al Sharqiya, east of the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, Wafa news agency reported on Friday.
The boy’s uncle told Reuters the incident occurred during clashes with the Israeli military that included stone-throwing by Palestinians.
The teenager was shot in the head, according to the report, and was taken to hospital where he died of his wounds.
The development comes amid a rising death toll of Palestinians in the West Bank since Israel’s war on Gaza began. Palestinian Authority health officials say 369 people have been killed since October 7.
