Palestinian-American boy killed by Israeli forces in West Bank

A tragic incident occurred in the West Bank where a 14-year-old Palestinian-American boy named Omar Mohammed Saada Rabea was shot and killed by Israeli forces. This event took place on a Sunday evening near the town of Turmus Ayya, where Omar was with two other boys, both also aged 14. One of the boys sustained serious injuries, while the other suffered minor wounds. The Israeli military stated that their troops opened fire on the boys, whom they labeled as 'terrorists' for allegedly throwing stones at vehicles on a nearby highway, claiming that this posed a danger to civilian drivers. The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned this act, referring to it as part of a troubling pattern of 'extrajudicial killings' by Israeli forces. In the United States, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump to discuss various issues, including the ongoing conflict in Gaza, relations with Iran, and US tariffs. The violence in the West Bank has escalated significantly since Hamas's deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israeli forces have intensified their search-and-arrest operations across the region, asserting that they are attempting to prevent further Palestinian attacks on Israelis. The mayor of Turmus Ayya reported that Omar was shot near the entrance of the town, which is located approximately 15 kilometers northeast of Ramallah and has a notable population of Palestinian-Americans. The Palestinian Red Crescent, an organization that provides medical assistance, indicated that one of the boys was shot in the lower abdomen while the other was hit in the thigh. According to reports, one of the boys, identified as Abdul Rahman Shehadeh, claimed he was shot by a soldier while he was gathering fruit. The father of another boy, Ayoub Asaad, stated that his son is also a US citizen and that the ambulance transporting him to the hospital was halted by Israeli soldiers at a military checkpoint outside the town. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a statement asserting that during their counter-terrorism operations in the Turmus Ayya area, they identified three individuals who were throwing rocks at the highway, thereby endangering civilian lives. The soldiers fired at them, resulting in the death of one boy and injuries to the other two. The Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry condemned the use of live ammunition against children by Israeli forces, warning that Israel's ongoing impunity as an occupying power encourages further violations. Last Thursday, the UN human rights chief expressed alarm over the situation in the West Bank. Volker Türk addressed the UN Security Council, stating that Israeli operations in the northern region have resulted in hundreds of deaths, the destruction of entire refugee camps, and the displacement of over 40,000 Palestinians. In January, Israel initiated a significant operation known as 'Operation Iron Wall' targeting Palestinian armed groups in the northern West Bank, claiming its objective was to combat terrorism. Türk reported that his office had verified that Israeli state and settler violence has led to the deaths of at least 909 Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, including 191 children and five individuals with disabilities. He cautioned that some of these killings could be classified as extrajudicial and unlawful. During the same timeframe, 51 Israelis, including 15 women and four children, have lost their lives in Palestinian attacks or armed confrontations in the West Bank and Israel. Since the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has established around 160 settlements in the West Bank, housing approximately 700,000 Jewish residents. These settlements are widely regarded as illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this characterization.