Washington demands probe into Palestinian teen’s death — RT World News
The US State Department on Monday urged Israel to investigate the killing of a 17-year-old US citizen in the West Bank last week.
Tawfiq Ajak, 17 years old, was killed by occupation bullets today, Friday, near the village of Al-Mazraa Al-Sharqiya, northeast of the city of Ramallah.
We called for an urgent investigation to find out the circumstances of his death. External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vedant Patil told reporters at a news conference in Washington on Monday.
The United States is 'Devastated by murder' And he continues to do so “Engaging closely with the Government of Israel to ascertain as much information as possible.” Patel said. He added that the head of the American Office for Palestinian Affairs visited Ajaq's family to offer condolences, and the embassy in Jerusalem will visit “Continue helping” they.
Tawfiq was born and raised near New Orleans, Louisiana. He moved to the West Bank last year with his parents and four siblings, to reconnect with their Palestinian heritage, according to Al Jazeera.
His cousin, Joe Abdul Qadhi, told “JJ” that Tawfiq was barbecuing in the field outside the village when he was shot, once in the head and once in the chest. He died on the way to the hospital. According to Abdel Qadi, the occupation soldiers asked him and other Palestinians who tried to reach Tawfiq to show their papers, which led to a delay in the rescue operation.
Tawfiq Hafez Tawfiq Ajaq, 17 years old, an American citizen, was killed yesterday by an Israeli settler and Israeli occupation forces who opened fire on his car in the occupied West Bank. It is not yet clear whether it was the settler or the soldier who fired the bullet that hit him in the head. https://t.co/KNXxMRoeqjpic.twitter.com/nYEULLlWCM
— Defense for Children (@DCIPalestine) January 20, 2024
“Tawfiq is an American child. An Israeli settler chased him and shot him. Then the Israeli forces stopped and continued shooting.” Miranda Cleland of the non-profit organization Defense for Children in Palestine, He said On X (formerly Twitter).
The Israeli police said that they had received a report about… “Discharge of a firearm, ostensibly involving an off-duty law enforcement officer, a soldier and a civilian.” They did not identify the shooter, but noted the individuals targeted “He allegedly engaged in stone-throwing activities along Highway 60.”
At his son's funeral on Saturday, Hafez Ajak was angry that he, as an American taxpayer, was footing Israel's bill. “killer machines” to “We kill our children“.
About 369 Palestinians – 95 of them minors – have been killed in the West Bank since October of last year, when Israel declared an all-out war against Hamas. The Gaza-based militant group killed about 1,200 Israelis in nearby settlements in a series of raids on October 7. Since then, about 25,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Strip, according to local health authorities.
While South Africa accused Israel of committing genocide before the International Court of Justice, White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters last week that the United States did not have “Any indications of deliberate efforts to commit war crimes.” By the Israeli army.
