The Obama administration insisted Monday that a Palestinian killed by an IDF while attempting to throw a Molotov cocktail at Israeli civilians is not a terrorist.
The Palestinian, a teenager with U.S. citizenship, was shot Friday and buried wearing a green Hamas headband. The Obama administration said in a statement on Friday that it "expresses its deepest condolences to the family."
At a State Department briefing today, Associated Press reporter Matt Lee asked spokesperson Jen Psaki whether it is appropriate to offer "deepest condolences" to the family of someone killed while attempting to carry out an attack on civilians.
"There are reports ... that [the Palestinian teenager] was throwing Molotov cocktails at cars on a highway, and I'm wondering, if that is the case, would you still have been so speedy in putting out a statement and offering your condolences to the family?" asked Lee. "The argument that is being made by some in Israel is that this kid was essentially a terrorist, and you don't agree with that, I assume," Lee continued.
"Correct, we don't," Psaki said. Lee then asked whether the fact that the teenager was buried wearing a Hamas headband was "of concern at all." Psaki replied, "I just don't have any more on this particular case."