Israeli Forces Said They Killed a ‘Terrorist.’ He Was 14 Years Old.

Scattered across a hill adorned with olive and almond trees, overlooking a busy highway in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, lay the remnants of a teenage boy’s final moments. On the rust-tinged soil speckled with wildflowers were a ripped black T-shirt, black Converse socks, and a pair of white Nike Air sneakers. Not far away, blood-soaked gray sweatpants and a black hoodie riddled with bullet holes painted a grim picture of violence.

This was where, on April 6, Israeli forces fatally shot Amer Rabee, a 14-year-old Palestinian-American who had been born in New Jersey. The killing took place near Turmus Aya, a Palestinian village whose population includes a significant number of American citizens. According to Amer’s family, his unclothed body, pierced by bullets, was returned to them later that evening in a blue plastic body bag.

The Israeli military alleged that Amer and two other boys had been throwing rocks at cars on the adjacent highway, posing a threat to civilian lives. The military labeled the boys as “terrorists,” claiming they had neutralized one and wounded the others. However, Amer’s family and one of the surviving boys deny these accusations. They say the children were simply gathering almonds when the soldiers opened fire.

Photographs provided by the family to The New York Times indicate Amer was hit multiple times in the upper body, further fueling concerns that the Israeli military uses deadly force with impunity. His death is one of many in a sharp escalation of violence in the West Bank—where Israeli forces have intensified raids and crackdowns in response to growing unrest. Extremist settler attacks on Palestinians have also been on the rise.

Amer’s killing has also prompted criticism of the U.S. government’s response to the deaths of American citizens abroad. U.S. Senators Andy Kim and Cory Booker from New Jersey have publicly demanded an independent American-led inquiry into the incident. Nevertheless, the U.S. administration has offered little beyond general statements.

At a press briefing, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce noted that the Israeli military claimed it was attempting to stop an act of terrorism. “We still need to better understand what actually happened on the ground,” she said. No further clarification has been provided by U.S. officials despite multiple inquiries.

Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel, over 900 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in the West Bank, primarily by Israeli forces, with a smaller number of deaths caused by settlers. During the same period, approximately 30 Israelis have been killed in the West Bank by Palestinians, according to United Nations data.

According to a recent report by the Israeli human rights group Yesh Din, fewer than a third of the complaints submitted between 2018 and 2022 about soldiers harming Palestinians have resulted in formal investigations. Only a small percentage have led to charges or disciplinary actions.

A Day That Turned Deadly

According to Ayoub Jabara, another 14-year-old Palestinian-American boy and a close friend of Amer, the three friends had gone to pick green almonds that afternoon—an early spring delicacy. They ventured into a terraced orchard situated between Turmus Aya and Route 60, a major road that links Israeli settlements and Palestinian towns.

Ayoub insists that none of them were throwing stones at passing cars. Instead, he said, they were tossing dried almonds at one another for fun. He recalled Amer finding a shriveled almond and joking that it looked like a stone before lobbing it playfully at him. “I threw it back,” Ayoub said, recounting the moment from his home in Turmus Aya.

Amer was shot at least 11 times, his father, Mohammed Rabee, said. A family friend captured images of the body when it was collected, showing bullet wounds in the head, neck, and upper torso—one shot reportedly went straight through his forehead.

Shortly after the shooting, the Israeli military released a ten-second, low-resolution video clip showing three figures—indistinct and unidentifiable—appearing to pick up objects from the ground. One figure seems to throw something, though no object is visible in the footage. The video ends abruptly as the trio runs off.

The military stated that the footage was captured from a surveillance post and that the operation was part of an anti-terror mission. They said their soldiers had been lying in wait.

Four days later, New York Times reporters visited the location where Amer was killed. There, they discovered more clothing and evidence consistent with a violent encounter. Some of the garments appeared to have been cut off—standard military procedure, the Israeli military said, to check for explosives. Blue surgical gloves and a rock stained with blood were also found.

Amer’s father pointed out that, even if the boys had been throwing stones, soldiers could have taken alternative actions—like firing into the air or attempting to detain them. “He was only 14,” Mr. Rabee said. “You don’t need special skills to catch a child.”

Instead, the soldiers unleashed a hail of bullets. The family believes the soldiers intended to kill Amer. When asked whether the army follows a shoot-to-kill policy for stone-throwers, the military declined to comment.

Ayoub was also struck multiple times. He was rushed to the Istishari Arab Hospital near Ramallah and spent three days in intensive care. Medical records reviewed by the Times confirm that he sustained several gunshot wounds, including three to the groin area. His doctor and father confirmed this account.

The third boy, Abdulrahman Shihada, 15, was also injured but his family declined interviews.

A Life Interrupted

Amer’s death has shattered his family’s world. In the days following the shooting, relatives and friends from the U.S. arrived in Turmus Aya to grieve. His parents, Majed and Mohammed Rabee, had left the West Bank for New Jersey in 2001, returning to their hometown in 2013 so that their children could grow up speaking Arabic and embracing Palestinian culture.

Amer was the youngest of five. His older siblings, having completed high school in the West Bank, returned to the U.S. Amer had been looking forward to joining them soon. The night before he died, he had been chatting in English with his siblings about a small business idea: selling miniature cotton candy machines.

Turmus Aya has long had ties to the United States. Waves of villagers emigrated over the last century, and today, approximately 85 percent of its residents hold dual Palestinian-American citizenship. Families like the Rabee’s often move between both countries.

Amer left home casually that evening, unaware it would be the last time. “He didn’t say goodbye,” his mother said. “He never thought he wouldn’t return.”

At 6:41 p.m., Mr. Rabee received a call from a friend who had heard of a shooting near the village. Word quickly spread that Amer was involved. Mr. Rabee called his son’s phone repeatedly with no answer. At 6:58 p.m., he dialed the U.S. Embassy’s emergency hotline in Jerusalem, pleading for assistance. According to him, no practical help was offered. The embassy has not responded to media requests for comment.

At around 9:30 p.m., a Palestinian official called to confirm what the family feared: Amer was dead. Mr. Rabee then traveled to an Israeli military base in the northern West Bank. Just before midnight, Amer’s body was handed over to a Palestinian ambulance.

“I said, ‘Alhamdulillah,’ and I kissed him,” Mr. Rabee said through tears.

Amer was buried the next day without an autopsy. Mr. Rabee said he had no faith in the authorities to conduct a fair investigation. “Only God can judge now,” he said quietly. “I’ve given Amer’s case to God.”