US citizen shot dead by Israeli troops during West Bank protest: Report

A 26-year-old American citizen taking part in a protest against settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank was shot dead by Israeli troops on Friday, news agency Reuters reported, while citing official Palestinian news agency WAFA.

The Israel Defence Force (IDF) stated that they are looking into the incident. However, the US Embassy has not commented on the situation till now.

The woman was rushed to Rafidia hospital in Nablus with a gunshot to the head and was later pronounced dead, the head of the hospital, Foud Nafaa, told Reuters. “We tried to perform a resuscitation operation on her, but unfortunately she died,” he said.

According to Palestinian media reports, the 26-year-old was engaged in efforts to protect farmers from Israeli settler violence.

This development follows the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Jenin city and its refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, after a major nine-day operation.

The increase in violent attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian villages in the West Bank has sparked growing concern among Western allies of Israel, including the United States, which has imposed sanctions on several individuals.

Friday’s incident follows a recent attack by around 100 settlers on the village of Jit in the northern West Bank, which drew worldwide condemnation and a government pledge for swift action against those guilty of violence. Palestinians and human rights groups frequently accuse Israeli forces of either standing by during these attacks or participating in them.