Israeli Fire Kills Palestinian American Teen In Occupied West Bank

Israeli fire on Friday killed a Palestinian American teenager in the occupied West Bank, fueling increased scrutiny for President Joe Biden’s continued unconditional military support for the country currently accused at the global level of genocide.

Tawfiq Hafez Ajaq, 17, was fatally shot by Israeli fire east of Ramallah, according to documentation collected by Defense for Children International-Palestine. Both Israeli soldiers and a settler reportedly opened fire, but it is still unclear who shot the bullets that killed the boy.

Tawfiq and his friend were inside his car during a barbecue in Al-Mazra’a Al-Sharqiya when an Israeli settler drove by and began firing live ammunition, according to DCIP. While the settler chased Tawfiq by car, an Israeli military vehicle reportedly appeared from the opposite direction and fired at the teen.

Tawfiq’s car veered off and overturned before Israeli forces surrounded him and, for 15 minutes, blocked men from getting the boy medical help, DCIP said. One of those men was Tawfiq’s relative, Joe Abdel Qaki, who said he and other Palestinians at the scene were briefly detained by Israeli forces who required identification from them before they could reach the teen.

Tawfiq was then transported to an ambulance, according to Abdel Qaki, where he died on the way to the hospital. The boy was reportedly shot once in the head and once in the chest.

“Palestinian children live in a hyper-militarized context where Israeli civilians illegally settled in occupied territory are armed by the Israeli government as a matter of official policy,” DCIP accountability program director Ayed Abu Eqtaish said in a statement.

“Israeli soldiers, police and private security staff not only protect Israeli