Family of US citizen killed by Israeli settlers in West Bank demand probe
Family members of Sayfollah Musallet, a 20-year-old American beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, have urged the US government to investigate the incident and hold perpetrators accountable.
Musallet’s family said in a statement that Israeli settlers surrounded him for three hours during the assault on Friday and attacked medics who were attempting to reach him.
“This is an unimaginable nightmare and injustice that no family should ever have to face,” the statement said.
“We demand the US State Department lead an immediate investigation and hold the Israeli settlers who killed Saif accountable for their crimes. We demand justice.”
The US has previously resisted calls to investigate the killing of US citizens by Israeli forces. Instead, US officials say that Israel is capable of investigating its own abuses.
However, Israeli investigations rarely lead to criminal charges against settlers or soldiers, despite their well-documented violations against Palestinians.
The US State Department said late on Friday that it “has no higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas.”
“We are aware of reports of the death of a US citizen in the West Bank. When a US citizen dies overseas, we stand ready to provide consular services,” a State Department spokesperson said. He declined to provide further details, citing the privacy of the victim’s family.
Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least nine US citizens since 2022, but none of the incidents have resulted in criminal charges.
The US provides billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. It also protects its ally diplomatically at international forums, and almost always uses its veto power to block United Nations Security Council proposals critical of Israeli abuses.
Musallet was killed on Friday during a settler raid on the town of Sinjil north of Ramallah. He was visiting his relatives in Palestine at the time.
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