US citizen killed by Israel during anti-settler protest

A U.S. citizen taking part in a protest against settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank died of her wounds on Friday after being shot in the head by Israeli troops, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

The Israeli military said it was looking into the report. There was no immediate comment from the U.S. embassy.

Fouad Nafaa, the head of the Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, told Reuters the woman arrived at the hospital in a very critical condition, with a serious head injury.

“We tried to perform a resuscitation operation on her, but unfortunately she died,” he said.

WAFA said the incident occurred during a regular protest march by activists in Beita, a town near the city of Nablus that has seen repeated attacks by settlers.

The rise in violent attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian villages in the West Bank has caused growing anger among Western allies of Israel, including the United States, which has imposed sanctions on a number of individuals.

Friday’s incident comes a few weeks after around 100 settlers attacked the village of Jit, in the northern West Bank, drawing worldwide condemnation and a promise from the government of swift action against anyone found guilty of violence.

Palestinians and rights groups regularly accuse Israeli forces of standing by as attacks take place and even joining in themselves.