New Orleans Neighborhood Mourns US Teen Reportedly Killed by Israeli Forces

The New Orleans group is mourning the lack of a Palestinian-American teenager who was reportedly killed by Israeli forces within the West Financial institution, with an area mosque president telling Newsweek on Saturday that the teenager had “his future life forward of him.”

A State Division spokesperson informed Newsweek through electronic mail on Saturday {that a} U.S. citizen civilian within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution died on Friday.

“We prolong our deepest condolences to the household,” the State Division mentioned. “We’re working to know the circumstances of the incident and have requested the Authorities of Israel for additional data. Out of respect to the household throughout this tough time, we’ve no additional remark.”

Israel has not claimed accountability for the dying, however the Israel Protection Forces (IDF) informed Newsweek through electronic mail on Saturday that it obtained a report on Friday “relating to an off-duty police officer and a civilian who fired towards a Palestinian particular person suspected of hurling rocks within the space of Al-Mazra’a ash-Sharqiya.”

“An IDF soldier was current within the space. The declare that the soldier fired on the Palestinian is below assessment. The Israel Police have opened an investigation into the incident,” the IDF added.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant assault on Israel in historical past. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza, dwelling to greater than 2 million Palestinians. Israeli officers have mentioned that about 1,200 folks in Israel had been killed and a few 250 hostages had been taken in Hamas’ assault, in keeping with the Related Press. In the meantime, virtually 25,000 Palestinians have been killed, officers from the well being ministry in Gaza mentioned.

Amid the Israeli-Palestinian battle, Israeli forces have performed near-daily raids into Palestinian villages and cities within the West Financial institution.

The teenager who died was recognized to Newsweek as 17-year-old Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, a Gretna, Louisiana, native, by Nabil Abukhader, the president of an area mosque referred to as Masjid Omar, situated within the higher New Orleans space in Harvey.

Abukhader informed Newsweek through phone on Saturday that Jabbar and his household moved to the West Financial institution for his senior yr of highschool after he completed eleventh grade final Could. He had plans of returning again to the U.S. to attend faculty on the College of New Orleans, in keeping with the mosque president.

Abukhader mentioned Jabbar was shot within the head by “the Israeli settlers” close to the city of Al-Mazra’a within the West Financial institution.

Reuters reported that the teenager was killed by Israeli safety forces, in keeping with Palestinian well being officers. The outlet didn’t determine the boy, however mentioned his uncle informed the publication that the teenager’s dying occurred amid fights with the Israeli navy that included stone-throwing by Palestinians.

“Each time anyone loses a life it is unhappy. And it will get even worse when it is a younger man and his future life forward of him,” the mosque president informed Newsweek, who spoke extremely of Jabbar and added,”He was very good, very well mannered, very respectful, filled with vitality, by no means been in hassle in his life.”

The mosque will maintain a vigil for the teenager on Saturday night time.

On Friday, nationwide safety spokesman John Kirby mentioned at a White Home briefing concerning the incident, “We do not have good context about precisely what occurred, however we’re significantly involved about it.”