Unprovoked Shooting in West Bank Raises Concerns over US Support

The truck, left, belonging to the family of American-Palestinian Tawfic Abdel Jabbar is seen on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, on a West Bank hill. A day early, 17-year-old Abdel Jabbar was fatally shot in

Al-Mazra’a Ash-Sharqiya, a village in the West Bank, was shaken by the tragic shooting of a 17-year-old American-Palestinian teen, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, that resulted in his untimely death. The incident, which occurred on Friday, was described by the sole passenger in the vehicle, Mohammed Salameh, who recounted the unprovoked shooting in an interview with The Associated Press.

Salameh stated that he and his friend had been driving in a pickup truck on a dirt road, several hundred meters away from Highway 60, when shots suddenly struck the back of the vehicle. The truck overturned multiple times before coming to a stop. Salameh managed to escape and ran back to the village for help, leaving his friend, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, trapped in the vehicle. The back windshield and truck bed of the pickup were riddled with bullet holes, confirming Salameh's account of the incident.

Israeli police initially claimed that the shooting targeted individuals engaged in rock-throwing activities along Highway 60, without identifying who fired the shots. However, Salameh denied any involvement in such activities and refuted the suggestion that there had been an attempt to arrest him. Tawfic Abdel Jabbar's father, Hafeth, also rejected claims that his son had thrown stones, asserting that even if they had, they posed no imminent threat to anyone as they were simply driving through the brush.

Israeli authorities have yet to provide further details about the incident, citing an ongoing investigation. The witness account and the bullet holes in the truck, however, offer one side of the story. The White House has called for a transparent investigation into the incident, emphasizing the need for accountability amidst mounting concerns about rising violence against Palestinians in the occupied territories.

A youth inspects the wrecked truck with bullets holes labeled with Israeli investigative tags in Al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya, West Bank, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, a teenager from Louisiana, was fatally shot while driving the truck on Jan. 19. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

The truck, left, belonging to the family of American-Palestinian Tawfic Abdel Jabbar is seen on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, on a West Bank hill. A day early, 17-year-old Abdel Jabbar was fatally shot in the car. A surviving passenger in the car told The Associated Press the truck was shot at from the back and tumbled down a dirt road. (Photo/Hafeth Abdel Jabbar)

A youth inspects the wrecked truck of the 17-year-old Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, a teenager from Louisiana who was fatally shot last week, when he was driving in the family's Palestinian home village, Al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya, West Bank, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

A card honoring 17-year-old Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, a teenager from Louisiana who was fatally shot last week, is displayed next to a drawing of him to commemorate him, at the family's Palestinian home village of Al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya, West Bank, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Rabea, 8, wears a pendant of her 17-year-old brother Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, a teenager from Louisiana who was fatally shot last week, at the family's Palestinian home village, Al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya, West Bank, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Hafeth, 40, father of 17-year-old Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, a teenager from Louisiana who was fatally shot last week, watches a TV report on the killing of his son, at the family's Palestinian home village, Al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya, West Bank, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Family and friends gather to pay respects following the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Tawfic Abdel Jabbar at the family's Palestinian home village, Al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya, West Bank, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Amir, 22, cries and holds Mona, 36, mother of 17-year-old Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, a teenager from Louisiana who was fatally shot last week, while they pose with a framed photo of his brother at the family's Palestinian home village, Al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya, West Bank, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Amir Abdel Jabbar, whose younger brother Tawfic was fatally shot last week, comforts their mother, Mona, while she poses with a framed photo of the family in their home village of Al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya, West Bank, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. Tawfic was from Louisiana, and the White House has demanded a transparent investigation into the death. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Mona, 36, mother of 17-year-old Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, a teenager from Louisiana who was fatally shot last week, poses with a framed photo underlain by the name of her son at the family's Palestinian home village in Al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya, West Bank, Tuesday, Jan. 23. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

The killing of Tawfic Abdel Jabbar has deeply impacted the community of Al-Mazra’a Ash-Sharqiya, where most residents hold American passports and split their time between the West Bank and the United States. The family's roots in the village stretch back almost two centuries, and Tawfic's parents, Hafeth and Mona, grew up there before moving to Louisiana, where they married and established a successful chain of shoe stores.

Tawfic, a high school senior studying remotely due to the pandemic, had aspirations of finishing school in February and pursuing higher education in the U.S. According to his father, he harbored dreams of becoming an engineer. The family has expressed their grief and desire for justice, with Mona Abdel Jabbar expressing anger toward the U.S. President Joe Biden's administration for its continued support of Israel.

The tragic incident has brought attention to the ongoing conflict in the region and highlights the need for a fair and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Tawfic Abdel Jabbar's death. While his family mourns the loss of their young son, the community of Al-Mazra’a Ash-Sharqiya stands united in seeking justice and demanding an end to the cycle of violence that plagues the region.