The United States on Monday asked Israel to conduct an “urgent investigation” into the circumstances surrounding the death of a 17-year-old Palestinian American who was killed by Israeli fire in the occupied West Bank on Friday, AFP reported.

Israeli soldiers in the West Bank village of AruraPhoto: APAImages / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

“We continue to work closely with the Israeli government to obtain as much information as possible and have requested an urgent investigation to determine the circumstances of his death and establish responsibility,” said US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel.

According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa and relatives of the young man, 17-year-old Tawfiq Abdeljabar Ayak was killed by Israeli shelling on Friday in Al-Mazraa Al-Sharqiya, east of Ramallah in the West Bank.

His funeral was held on Saturday.

The spokesman said he was “devastated” by the death of the Palestinian teenager, who was also a US citizen, and reiterated his call for de-escalation.

“We have clearly stated the tragic escalation of violence in the West Bank and call on all parties to avoid escalation,” he said.

He also said that the Office of Palestinian Affairs and the US Embassy in Jerusalem have been in contact with the teenager’s family.

When asked by AFP, the Israeli military said that “an off-duty police officer and (one) civilian shot at a Palestinian suspected of throwing stones.”

The army added that “one soldier was in the area” and that “the allegation that (he) shot at a Palestinian is being investigated.”

The occupied West Bank is the scene of escalating violence on the brink of the Gaza war.

Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, triggered by an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement in the Gaza Strip, which it controls, on October 7, Israeli security forces have stepped up raids in the West Bank.

The West Bank has been occupied by Israel since 1967. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 360 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army or Jewish settlers since October 7 in the territory separated by the Gaza Strip from Israel.