The U.S. has launched an independent investigation into two shooting incidents by Israeli security forces, which allegedly killed Palestinian-American boys in Judea and Samaria in the past month. In an unusual move, investigators from the American Embassy in Jerusalem visited the shooting scenes and the homes of the victims, took testimonies from the families and gathered evidence for a report. One of the deaths the Americans are investigating is that of the 17-year-old boy Muhammad Ahmed al-Khadour, who was born in Florida and was shot to death last Saturday while he was driving a car with his cousin near his village. The second death is that of the 17-year-old boy Tawfik Hijazi, who was hit by a bullet in the head during a confrontation with soldiers near Ramallah in January. (Daniel Edelson, New York)