The statement from the U.S. did not mention the circumstances in which Tamimi had been shot, nor did it acknowledge that the firefight was initiated by terrorists.
By World Israel News Staff
The Biden administration placed the onus of responsibility for the shooting death of a Palestinian toddler during a firefight between terrorists and IDF troops onto Israel on Tuesday, in a statement calling for Jerusalem to reevaluate its use-of-force policies.
“We express our condolences to the family of Mohammed Tamimi. We urge Israel to evaluate all use of deadly force that involves civilian casualties and we call on Israeli and Palestinian leadership to take responsible actions to end the conflict,” the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs said in a statement.
Notably, the statement from the U.S. did not mention the circumstances in which Tamimi had been shot, nor did it acknowledge that the firefight was initiated by terrorists.
Last week, two-year-old Mohammed Tamimi and his father, Haitham, were accidentally shot by Israeli soldiers after terrorists fired on a checkpoint near the Jewish community of Neve Tzuf in Samaria.
Initial reports suggested that the pair were shot by terrorists, but the IDF has since acknowledged responsibility for the shooting. The father and son were sitting in a car close to where the terrorists had begun shooting at troops and were struck by errant shots from the IDF as they returned fire.
Haitham Tammimi was rushed to a local hospital near Ramallah, and Mohammed was airlifted to Sheba Hospital in Ramat Gan. After several days in intensive care, the toddler died on Monday.
State Department Spokesman Vedant Patel did not mention that the shooting occurred during a firefight with terrorists, who chose to shoot at troops while they were surrounded by civilians.
“It’s our understanding that the IDF is investigating the incident, and broadly speaking, we urge investigations into any operations that result in civilian casualties,” Patel said on Tuesday at a press briefing.
The Israeli military told the Times of Israel that it was launching a thorough review of troops’ actions and the circumstances surrounding Tamimi’s death.
“The incident is being investigated in depth,” the IDF said. “At the end of the inquiry and taking into account its findings, a decision will be made regarding the opening of a probe.”