US calls for Israel to investigate the shooting of two Palestinian minors

After the broadcast of a video that showed Israeli soldiers shooting Palestinians, the US called for Israel to conduct a “thorough” investigation into the incident.

Israeli human right organisation B’Tselem showed the video that exposes the Israeli soldiers shooting Mohammad abu-Thaher, 16, and Nadim Nuwara, 17, in Beitunia during a protest last week.

B’Tselem said the video shows that Israeli troops committed “unlawful killings where neither of the youths presented a direct and immediate threat to life at the time of their shooting.”

During a press briefing in Washington on Tuesday evening, the US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said: “We are monitoring the event closely and request additional information from the Israeli government.”

Psaki added: “We expect the Israeli government to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation, to verify the facts, including whether there was a proportional threat by the protesters.”

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon said earlier on Tuesday that “Molotov cocktails and stones were thrown at border police officers who felt that their life was threatened, and acted accordingly.”

According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Ya’alon said he had not seen the video, but alleged the images had been manipulated through editing.