US Citizen Killed In Spiraling West Bank Violence

There’s been spiraling violence since Sunday across multiple West Bank towns and villages. Israeli settlers went on a rampage in the Nablus area – burning cars, businesses and attacking random Palestinians – after a Sunday night shooting wherein a Palestinian gunman killed two Israelis in the Huwara area.

Palestinian officials have condemned what they called a “pogrom” which saw some 400 Palestinians injured. This resulted in more shootings by Palestinian gunmen on Monday, including of a motorist identified by US officials as an American.

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According to Al Jazeera, “Palestinian media reported stabbings and attacks with metal rods and rocks. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said one person was in hospital after being beaten in the head with a rock, causing fractures to the skull. Another person suffered a beating with a metal rod to the face.”

There’s since been a series of tit-for-tat revenge attacks from either side, with the latest resulting in the death of an American citizen in his 20s.

He was shot Monday near the city of Jericho by Palestinian gunmen, the US State Department confirmed:

According to Reuters, the killing was part of several drive-by shootings conducted by Palestinians along a highway amid escalating violence this week.

Two Israeli settlers were shot dead on Sunday, reportedly by a Palestinian gunman, prompting other settlers to storm through part of the West Bank.

The State Department later condemned the killings and “the wide-scale, indiscriminate violence by settlers against Palestinian civilians.”

US ambassador to Israel Tom Nides issued a statement saying, “Sadly, I can confirm that a U.S. citizen was killed in one of the terror attacks in the West Bank tonight. I pray for his family.”

Israeli reports describe that gunmen drove up beside the man’s car and shot at him while also opening fire on other cars, and subsequently the gunmen abandoned their car, setting it on fire. No others in nearby vehicles were injured.