Daijiworld Media Network – Ramallah
Ramallah, Apr 7: In a heart-wrenching development from the occupied West Bank, a 14-year-old Palestinian-American boy was shot dead and two others injured after Israeli forces reportedly opened fire on a group of children near Turmus Aya town, northeast of Ramallah.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health identified the slain boy as Omar Mohammed Rabea. According to Wafa news agency, the Israeli military arrested the teen after the shooting and later confirmed his death. His body is yet to be handed over to the family.
Two other boys, aged 14 and 15, both also holding US citizenship, sustained serious injuries one shot in the abdomen and the other in the thigh. They were rushed to hospital by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and are currently under medical care.
The Israeli army released a statement claiming that its soldiers had ‘identified three terrorists’ allegedly throwing stones at vehicles on a highway, saying this posed a threat to civilians. “The soldiers opened fire eliminating one terrorist and hitting two additional terrorists,” the statement read.
However, local Palestinian officials and eyewitnesses strongly dispute this claim. Ramallah Governor Laila Ghanem, who visited the wounded children at the hospital, condemned the incident as a ‘deliberate attack’ on minors. “This is organised terrorism, part of an ongoing strategy to destroy the Palestinian people,” she said.
The Palestinian foreign ministry described the killing as an ‘extra-judicial execution,’ holding Israel accountable for continuing violence under the guise of counterterrorism. Earlier accounts from Turmus Aya’s mayor also suggested an Israeli settler may have fired the fatal shots, although this remains unconfirmed.
This tragic killing comes amid a sharp rise in violence across the occupied West Bank. A recent Israeli military offensive has already claimed at least 99 Palestinian lives, including 17 children, according to UN data.
The incident adds to the growing list of US citizens fatally shot in the West Bank in recent years, including the high-profile killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022 and activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in 2024.
Tensions remain high as international human rights organisations continue to call for independent investigations and accountability.