Ramallah, April 8 (V7N) – A Palestinian teenager with U.S. citizenship, Omar Mohammad Rabea, 14, was shot and killed by Israeli forces on Sunday in the West Bank town of Turmus Ayya, according to Palestinian officials. The incident adds to the ongoing surge of violence and daily confrontations in the volatile region, where tensions between Israeli forces, armed Palestinians, and settlers have been escalating.

The mayor of Turmus Ayya, Adeeb Lafi, told Reuters that Rabea, along with two other teenagers, was shot by an Israeli settler at the entrance to the town. Lafi stated that Rabea was later pronounced dead by the Israeli army after being detained. The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the incident as an "extra-judicial killing" carried out by Israeli forces during a raid in the town. They accused Israel of acting with "continued impunity."

In response, the Israeli military issued a statement saying that the soldiers were carrying out a counterterrorism operation in the area when they identified three individuals hurling rocks toward a highway, which the military claimed endangered civilians. The Israeli army stated that soldiers opened fire at the suspects, killing one and injuring two others.

The incident occurred amidst rising settler violence in the West Bank, including attacks on Palestinian villages, Bedouin encampments, and other occupied territories. This has significantly increased since the Gaza war began in October 2023.

In response to such violence, European countries and the previous U.S. administration under President Joe Biden imposed sanctions on violent Israeli settlers. However, the Trump administration removed these sanctions.

Over the past few months, the Israeli military has conducted large-scale operations in the West Bank aimed at rooting out militants. These operations have intensified as Hamas, based in Gaza, has increasingly extended its influence into the West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority, led by the Fatah faction, exercises limited control.

This latest incident highlights the ongoing volatility in the region, where both military and settler actions continue to stoke tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.

(Reporting by Reuters)

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