Israeli forces kill Palestinian teenager with US citizenship on West Bank

(Patria) - A Palestinian teenager with US citizenship was killed by Israeli forces in the town of Turmus Ayya in the West Bank, Palestinian officials said on Sunday, and the Israeli army said it fired at a "terrorist" who endangered civilians by throwing stones, Reuters reported last night.

The mayor of Turmus Ayya, Adeeb Lafi, told Reuters earlier in the day that Omar Mohammad Rabea (14) was killed along with two other teenagers by an Israeli settler at the entrance to Turmus Ayya and that the Israeli army declared him dead after detaining him.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the incident as an "extrajudicial killing" by Israeli forces during a raid in the city, saying it was the result of Israel's "continued impunity".

"During counter-terrorism activity in the Turmus Ayya area, IDF soldiers identified three terrorists who were throwing stones at the highway, thereby endangering civilians driving," the Israeli army said in a statement.

"Soldiers opened fire at the terrorists who endangered civilians, eliminating one terrorist and hitting two other terrorists," they added.

Settler violence in the West Bank, including incursions into the occupied territory and raids on
Bedouin villages and camps, has intensified since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023.

European countries and the previous US administration under President Joe Biden have imposed sanctions on violent Israeli settlers, although the White House under President Donald Trump removed these sanctions.

The Israeli army has also carried out what it called a "large-scale military operation" in the West Bank in recent months to eradicate militants.

Limited authority in the West Bank is held by the Palestinian Authority, which is largely elected from the ranks of Fatah, a rival to Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip.