Israel Shoots and Kills 14-Year-Old American Boy in West Bank

Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Condemns Incident as "Extrajudicial Killing"

A 14-year-old boy with U.S. citizenship was killed by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank, a Palestinian autonomous territory, according to major foreign media.

The scene of moving the body of the American boy who died on the 6th in the Xi'an area. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 6th (local time), major foreign media including The Guardian reported that Omar Mohammad Rabea, a Palestinian-American boy, was shot by Israeli settlers at the entrance of a village along with two other teenage youths. This information was conveyed through Adib Rafi, the mayor of the city of Turmus Aya in the West Bank. Mayor Rafi stated that Rabea was detained by the Israeli military and was declared dead afterward.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the incident as an "extrajudicial killing" committed during an Israeli military raid on the village, arguing that it happened because Israel continued to turn a blind eye to the military's illegal actions.

The Israeli military explained that they had shot a terrorist. In a statement, the Israeli military said, "During counterterrorism operations in the Turmus Aya area, soldiers identified three terrorists who threw stones toward the highway, endangering civilian drivers," adding, "The soldiers fired at the terrorists, eliminating one and injuring two others."

Since the war in Gaza began, violence has intensified in the West Bank. Jewish settlers from Israel have attacked Palestinian villages and threatened residents with guns, while the Israeli military has increased the scale of military operations over the past few months, aiming to eradicate armed groups within the West Bank.

In this process, Palestinian residents have suffered significant damage, and the international community has criticized Israel for responding passively to the indiscriminate violence by settlers and others.

It has been reported that violent acts have become more brazen since the Donald Trump administration lifted sanctions previously imposed on violent Jewish settlers by the former government. According to international law, the West Bank is principally under the administrative authority of the Palestinian Authority (PA), but in practice, Israel controls the area and has been expanding settlements by sending its own citizens to these settlements.