US demands Israel conduct full investigation into Palestinian-American teen's killing

A funeral was held for Tawfic Abdel Jabbar on Saturday

The US is calling for a full probe into the murder of a Palestinian-American teenager who died on Friday in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, 17, was shot in the head and killed, his family said.

Jabbar's family said they believe he was hit by an off-duty Israeli soldier and an Israeli settler who shot at the car he had been driving.

The Israeli police said a civilian and an off-duty policeman had fired at someone suspected of hurling rocks.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said that one of its members was also in the area, and that it is investigating the claim that the soldier had fired shots at the Palestinian teenager.

The White House, increasingly at odds with the Israeli government and also facing criticism at home about its handling of the war in Gaza, is pressing for a wide and deep investigation.

Calling the death of Jabber "a tragic killing", National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby said that "we have every expectation that those responsible will be held accountable".

"We call on Israel to conduct a full, thorough and transparent investigation into his killing," Mr Kirby said at a White House press briefing on Monday.

Jabbar's death comes amid rising tensions in the West Bank between Palestinians and Israeli settlers, as the war between Israel and the militant group Hamas in Gaza enters its fourth month.

At least 319 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the war broke out on 7 October, according to UN data. Many were killed in shootouts with the Israeli military, but some, witnesses say, were killed by Israeli forces and settlers while they were unarmed.

President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are divided over the future of post-war Gaza. Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected US calls for a two-state solution to the conflict, where a Palestinian state would be created next to an Israeli one.

Born and raised in Louisiana, Jabbar had travelled to the village of Al-Mara'a Al-Sharqiya, about 10 miles northwest of Ramallah, with his family in May to learn about his Palestinian roots, his family said.

His father, Hafeth Abdel Jabbar, told NBC News that his son had hoped to study engineering in college and was considering pursuing a degree in the West Bank.

Jabbar's family said he was killed after going out for a picnic with friends. Witnesses told them that the teenager was first shot by a person who appeared to be a settler, followed by someone wearing an IDF uniform.

In his interview with NBC, Mr Abdel Jabbar said he doubts the US government will take action to respond to the killing of his, who, he said, was "very loved".

He dismissed the accusation by Israeli authorities that his son was hurling rocks. But he added that even if rocks were thrown, his son should not have been killed.

"You're gonna shoot the car 10 times because a guy threw a rock?" he asked.