Abdel Jabbar traveled to Al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya with his family in May 2023 to connect with relatives and learn about Palestinian culture.[9][15][16][17] He was in his senior year of high school and was studying remotely at the time of his death.[18][19]
Killing
According to Abdel Jabbar's family, he was driving on
Highway 60 around
Al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya with his friends to attend a picnic or barbecue when he was shot in the afternoon of 19 January 2024.[20][21][22][23] Witnesses to the shooting have said that Abdel Jabbar was first shot by an Israeli settler, followed by an
IDF soldier.[9][21] Multiple shots were fired by an Israeli settler at the back of the truck.[12][1] As Abdel Jabbar attempted to drive away from the shots, an Israeli military vehicle then began shooting from the opposite direction.[24][25][26] At least 10 shots were fired at Abdel Jabbar.[13] After being shot, Abdel Jabbar lost control of the vehicle, leading to it flipping over multiple times.[5][7][20] Abdel Jabbar's father reported arriving at the scene of the shooting finding him with gunshot wounds in his chest and neck.[20][27] IDF soldiers were reportedly already at the scene when his father arrived, pointing guns and warning people to stay away from the area.[20][27][28][29] Joe Abdel Qaki, Abdel Jabbar's relative, and other witnesses at the scene were briefly detained by Israeli forces.[3][4] A
Defence for Children International - Palestine found that Israeli forces prevented emergency responders from reaching the scene for at least 15 minutes.[24][30] The preliminary medical report from the Palestine Medical Complex in
Ramallah stated that Abdel Jabbar was dead by the time he entered the hospital at 4:03 PM.[5][31][32][33] The reported cause of death was a gunshot wound to the right side of the head.[34] He died at the age of 17.[35][36][37][38] Abdel Jabbar was buried in a family cemetery in Al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya.[13]
Reactions
United States
Following Abdel Jabbar's killing, his family has criticized the United States' support of Israel.[39] His mother said: “My son, he was killed by — I don’t want to say American bullets, but at least by American money. We live there, we work there. Our business is there, we pay in taxes there. So my taxes are going to the bullet that killed my son.”[12] During Abdel Jabbar's funeral in Al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya, his father said: "The American society does not know the true story. Come here on the ground and see what’s going on. How many fathers and mothers have to say goodbye to their children? How many more?"[4][40][41]
United States National Security Council spokesperson
John Kirby called Abdel Jabbar's death a "a tragic killing" and called on Israel to "conduct a full, thorough and transparent investigation into his killing."[9][2][42][43]United States State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel called for an “urgent investigation to determine the circumstance of his death."[27][3][44]George Noll, Chief of the
U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs, visited Abdel Jabbar's family to express condolences.[6] In response a rise in violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers, including Abdel Jabbar's killing,
United States PresidentJoe Biden issued an executive order on February 1, 2024 imposing financial and
visa restrictions on four Israeli settlers who committed acts of violence against Palestinians.[45][46][47]
United States Congressmember
Rashida Tlaib called for an investigation into the killing, stating: "Tawfiq deserved to grow old."[24][48] A vigil at the Masjid Omar mosque in
Harvey and a memorial drive in the New Orleans area were held.[49][50][51]
An
Israel Police statement and
IDF report stated that Abdel Jabbar had been involved in throwing rocks along Highway 60.[23][58][59] Mohammed Salameh, who was in the passenger seat when Abdel Jabbar was killed, and Abdel Jabbar's father disputed the claim.[5][12][20][27] The original police report did not mention that Abdel Jabbar was shot while driving, conflicting with witness statements.[34]
B'Tselem is conducting an investigation into the killing.[46]
Notes
^Different sources list his surname as either Abdel Jabbar[1][2] or Ajaq.[3][4]