US calls for ‘accountability’ following Israel’s killing of teenager Palestinian girl
Washington (QNN)- The United States has called for “accountability” after Israeli occupation forces killed in cold blood 16-year-old Palestinian girl Jana Zakarneh on Sunday evening.
On Monday, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said at a news conference, “We do express our profound condolences to the family of Jana Zakarna, the young teenage girl who was killed.”
“We understand the IDF is undertaking an investigation into what happened. We hope to see accountability in this case,” he added.
The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed that Zakarneh was killed after being shot by Israeli soldiers during a military raid on Sunday night into Jenin’s the Al-Bayader neighborhood.
Local sources added that Jana was shot and killed while on her house roof and found dead after the Israeli forces withdrew from Jenin.
The 11th-grade girl was searching for her cat on the roof, family sources told local and international media.
Zakarneh’s uncle, speaking to AFP, said that his niece had gone to the roof of the building to get her cat.
“She wasn’t carrying a weapon or throwing stones, she had nothing and was shot with four bullets in deadly spots: in the head, the face and twice in the chest. They have truly killed childhood,” he said.
Noting the recent “alarming increase in Palestinian and Israeli deaths and injuries,” Price reiterated the need for “all parties to take steps to de-escalate the situation”.
That night, at approximately 10 p.m, an Israeli special forces unit raided the eastern neighborhood of Jenin city where the warning sirens blared.
تغطية صحفية: "لحظة اقتحام القوات الخاصة الإسرائيلية لمدينة جنين". pic.twitter.com/OiUSDnkOxG
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) December 11, 2022
Breaking: Warning sirens are blaring right now in Jenin refugee camp, north of the occupied West Bank, amid an Israeli military raid on the vicinity of the camp. pic.twitter.com/XkFozR6kDt
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 11, 2022
تغطية صحفية: "قوة خاصة إســرائيلية تقتحم الحي الشرقي في جنين". pic.twitter.com/g3ZoMvrxV7
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) December 11, 2022
Confrontations erupted between Palestinian residents and the Israeli soldiers who injured two people and arrested three others, claiming the three Palestinians were suspected of carrying out attacks against Israelis.
لحظة اعتقال قوات الاحتلال لثلاثة شبان خلال اقتحام مدينة جنين. pic.twitter.com/gRlnhUaEQU
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) December 11, 2022
تغطية صحفية: "لحظة نقل إصابة برصاص الاحتلال في جنين". pic.twitter.com/6iet0GISkz
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) December 11, 2022
The Israeli military said it was aware of the teenager’s death and alleged an investigation was underway.
On Monday, the Israeli forces admitted the killing of the girl, claiming she was hit by “unintentional fire.”
The Israeli forces claimed in a statement, “Following an initial inquiry, it was determined that the girl who was killed was hit by unintentional fire aimed at armed gunmen on a roof in the area from which the force was fired upon.”
“The IDF and its commanders regret any harm to uninvolved civilians, including those who are in a combat environment and in close proximity to armed terrorists during exchanges of fire,” the statement continued.
The 11th-grade girl is the 53rd Palestinian child killed in 2022 by Israeli forces.
