AMNA NAWAZ: The New Orleans# community is mourning the loss## of a Palestinian-American teenager# killed in the West Bank last month;## 17-year-old Tawfic Abdel Jabbar is one of# the 94 children among the 370 Palestinians## killed in clashes on the West Bank since# October 7, according to the United Nations.

In late January, over 100 cars formed a motorcade# in his memory along a New Orleans highway.

I spoke with his father, Hafeth Abdel Jabbar,## earlier this week from the West Bank,# and I asked him what happened to his son.

HAFETH ABDEL JABBAR, Father of Tawfic Abdel# Jabbar: What I know and what happened is,## my son was traveling from one piece of# property to another piece of property## with a friend.

Me -- and with other# friends, so they can do a barbecue.

And as he was traveling, he was, I think,# ambushed by a settler, retired police officer, a## soldier.

We're not sure.

There was three different# weapons used.

The truck was hit with 10 bullets,## four of them, is very clear, to the driver's# side, and two of them to the passenger side.

But, luckily, and thanks God,# the passenger had ducked,## and he's 16 years old also.

He's an# American citizen.

And he was traveling## towards the village on a dirt road from the# mountain.

And that's when he was struck and## lost control of the car and flipped three# times or four times, and it came to stop.

AMNA NAWAZ: How did you learn# that your son had been killed?

HAFETH ABDEL JABBAR: One of# my friends called me and said,## your son's truck had flipped on the dirt# road.

And I said, where?

And he told me where.

So we rushed over there.

And that's how I# find my son in the car shot in the head.

AMNA NAWAZ: Israeli officials# say that they have launched an## investigation.

Are they sharing any of that# investigation and the findings with you?

HAFETH ABDEL JABBAR: They have not shared anything# with me personally, no.

They said they did,## but they have not shared.

They know who did# it.

They said, they have made comments to me## that they know who did it, but he's not under# arrest until they finish their investigation.

I'm not sure why.

AMNA NAWAZ: Do you trust the results of the# investigation when t.. HAFETH ABDEL JABBAR: I cannot trust them,# no.

I won't trust anything that they do.

I hope my government can step in# and do their own investigation,## so we can come to conclusion who shot my son.

AMNA NAWAZ: When you say your government,## you're referring to the American# government; is that ri.. HAFETH ABDEL JABBAR: Yes,# ma'am.

I'm an American citizen,## been there since 1996.

Five of my# kids was born in the U.S. in Gretna,## Louisiana.

My wife is an American# citizen, so my government is the American.

My son was born and raised for 16# years in Gretna, Louisiana.

So,## I'm seeking help from my government, from# my president, to seek justice for Tawfic.

AMNA NAWAZ: You moved your# family to the West Bank in## May of last year.

Tell us a little bit about why.

HAFETH ABDEL JABBAR: Well, I was born here# in Palestine in Al Mazra'a Sharqiya about## 25 miles away from Jerusalem.

My dad# was born here.

His dad was born here,## the whole family.

I can go back to 1870, 1880s.

And I wanted to bring my kids, so they can# spend a little bit of time here.

But this is## what happened in the first nine months.# I have only been here for nine months.

AMNA NAWAZ: You mentioned you're seeking help from## the U.S. government.

Can you tell us# about who you have been in tou.. who has reached out to you or what you# have heard from the American government?

HAFETH ABDEL JABBAR: I have just been getting# calls from the consulate here.

I'm trying to## reach to senators, congressmen, trying to# put pressure on the Israeli government to## allow us to do an investigation# to see who did that to my son.

All I have seen is just a comment# from the White House speaker,## I guess.

And that was it.

I haven't# seen anything yet.

There's no movement.

AMNA NAWAZ: Can I ask about your family?

I know## Tawfic has several siblings# as well.

How are they doing?

HAFETH ABDEL JABBAR: It's a bit tough# for my wife.

I have two daughters,## 8 and 6 years old.

And I have a# 12-years-old boy and a 21-years-old boy.

It's a bit tough.

My 8-years-old, she kept asking# me: "I don't understand what happened to him."

So## I kept telling her what happened.

And then the# light -- when you're trying to explain to her## that he's in heaven, she still says: "I just# don't understand.

Can you explain it to me?"

I don't know the answer to that.

AMNA NAWAZ: Hafeth, my colleague Roby# Chavez has been reporting on your son's## death from New Orleans.

And he spoke to# the vice principal of his school there,## who said that Tawfic was larger# than life.

And he called him a## big teddy bear and said that the school# was absolutely reeling after his death.

What do you want us to know about your son?

HAFETH ABDEL JABBAR: My son# was full of life, 17 years old,## always happy and smart, never say# anything to hurt anybody's feeling,## no matter who it is, no matter what color# he is, no matter what religion he is.

He plays football.

He's full of life.

He# went to Muslim Academy schools.

He went## to Christian Brother Martin school.

He had dreams# of engineering.

They took all that away from him.

AMNA NAWAZ: What does justice# look like for you right now?

HAFETH ABDEL JABBAR: There's no justice.# I think we lost human -- humanity.

My government, my president, we claim# democracy.

We claim human rights,## and we claim that nothing should be done# against humanity.

And now our own guns is## killing our own children.

And my son,# it's a big example.

And it shouldn't## be -- it shouldn't matter if he's American# citizen, or he's from Mexico, or he's Latin,## or he's Chinese, or he's white, or Jewish, or# Muslim, or -- children shouldn't be killed.

People shouldn't be killed for# no reason, like my son did.

AMNA NAWAZ: Thank you so much for# your time and for joining us and## for sharing the memory of your son.

Thank you.

HAFETH ABDEL JABBAR: Thank you.