14-year-old dual Palestinian-US citizen killed in the West Bank
A 14-year-old dual Palestinian-U.S. citizen was killed in the West Bank on Sunday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said Monday.
The teen was identified as Amer Mohamad Saada Rabee.
The death comes after Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement Sunday that they identified “three terrorists who hurled rocks toward the highway, thus endangering civilians driving” in the Turmus Ayya area of the West Bank.
Israeli soldiers "opened fire," killing one person and hitting two others, the IDF said in the statement, though they did not identify the person who was killed.
In response to an ABC News request, the IDF would not comment regarding whether they are investigating the incident. A video of the rock-throwing incident in question was provided with the IDF statement Sunday.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed in a statement to ABC News that a U.S. citizen died in the West Bank.
"We acknowledge the IDF's initial statement that expressed that this incident occurred during a counter-terrorism operation and that Israel is investigating,” the statement said.
“It is with heavy hearts that The Palestinian American Community Center (PACC) shares the news of the horrific killing of Amer Mohamad Saada Rabee, a young 14-year-old Palestinian American boy from Turmusayya [sic], a village in the West Bank,” the New Jersey-based Palestinian American Community Center said in a statement.
Two other people who were also under 18 years old were injured in the incident, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
“Amer, along with two other Palestinian American 15-year-olds from the village, were shot by Israeli military officers. Amer was shot 11 times in total,” the Palestinian American Community Center said.
Mourners gathered Sunday for funeral prayers at the Palestinian American Community Center in Clifton, New Jersey.
ABC News' Nathan Luna contributed to this report.
