The United States on Thursday called on Israel to launch a “thorough” investigation into the death of a 7-year-old Palestinian boy who allegedly died while being chased by IDF troops near the West Bank settlement of Tekoa.
Israel’s Haaretz daily quoted Deputy State Department spokesman Vedant Patel as saying, “We’re heartbroken by the death of an innocent child.”
Palestinian officials said that Rayan Yasser Suleiman fell from a height while being pursued by Israeli soldiers and later died in hospital. But an uncle of the boy said that he suffered a heart attack when IDF troops arrived at the family home to arrest his brothers.
The IDF said that a preliminary investigation showed its troops had no role in the boy’s death but the Israeli media said that the investigation was still ongoing.