Palestinian officials identified the 14-year-old US citizen as Omar Mohammed Rabea.
A Palestinian-American teenager has been shot and killed by an Israeli Jewish settler in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian authorities.
Palestinian officials identified the 14-year-old victim as Omar Mohammed Rabea, stating he was near a settlement in Turmus Aya when the settler opened fire.
Since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza, there has been a sharp increase in settler violence, incursions, attacks, and arson targeting Palestinians and their property in the West Bank. The Israeli military has also been conducting sustained assaults across various cities and towns in the territory.
According to the town’s Mayor, Adeeb Lafi, Rabea was shot along with two other teenagers by the settler.
Palestinian officials condemned the shooting, with one stating, “This is yet another example of the ongoing Israeli settler violence against Palestinians, carried out with impunity.”
The victim’s family has not yet issued a public statement but has expressed profound grief over their loss.
International criticism of Israeli settlement expansion and Jewish settler violence has been growing, with human rights organizations worldwide condemning these actions.
Israeli forces have launched an investigation into the killing, but authorities have not yet commented. Israeli military and settlers often operate in Palestinian areas without fear of judicial consequences.
There have been several cases of U.S. citizens being killed by Israelis in the occupied West Bank.
In 2024, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old Turkish-American activist, was shot in the head by an Israeli soldier while protesting against illegal Israeli settlements, according to witnesses.
Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist for Al Jazeera, was also killed by the Israeli military in 2022 while reporting in the occupied West Bank, despite being clearly identified as a member of the press.
For the latest updates and more news, visit ZTC News and Z News Today.