American Beaten To Death By Israeli Settlers In The West Bank

A 20-year-old American from Florida was beaten to death by Israeli settlers connected Friday while visiting relatives successful nan occupied West Bank, according to his family and nan Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Sayfollah Musallet, known arsenic Saif, was “brutally beaten to death” successful nan municipality of al-Mazra’a ash-Sharqiya, northbound of Ramallah, nan family said successful a connection connected societal media and confirmed to NBC News. According to nan family, a group of settlers blocked an ambulance and paramedics from reaching Musallet for astir 3 hours.

After nan settlers cleared, Musallet’s relative was capable to scope him and transportation him to nan ambulance, according to nan statement. However, “Saif died earlier reaching nan hospital.”

Sayfollah Musallet, 20, was beaten to decease by Israeli settlers.Fatmah Muhammed

A 2nd man, Mohammed al-Shalabi, 23, was besides killed successful nan aforesaid conflict pinch settlers, according to nan Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers unrecorded successful developments built successful Palestinian territories and wide considered forbidden by nan world community. Since October 2023, erstwhile Hamas attacked confederate Israel, sparking nan warfare successful Gaza, unit perpetrated by settlers successful nan West Bank has surged, often aided aliases abetted by Israeli information forces.

Settler attacks see raids connected villages, arson targeting homes and farmland, and beingness assaults connected residents that person regularly turned deadly.

It is presently unclear why nan confrontation that killed Musallet and al-Shalabi began.

NBC News has reached retired to nan State Department for comment. According to Reuters, a State Department spokesperson said it was “aware of reports of nan decease of a U.S. national successful nan West Bank,” adding nan section had nary further remark “out of respect for nan privateness of nan family and loved ones” of nan reported victim.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Friday it was “aware of reports regarding a Palestinian civilian killed and a number of injured Palestinians arsenic a consequence of nan confrontation, and they are being looked into by nan ISA and Israel Police.”

Israel Police did not instantly respond to NBC News’ petition for accusation connected nan incident aliases nan settlers involved.

Saif’s cousin, Fatmah Muhammed, told NBC News connected Saturday that Musallet worked successful an crystal pick shop tally by his begetter successful Tampa, Florida. He traveled to nan West Bank successful June to sojourn his mother, brother, and sister. Musallet’s begetter was en way to nan West Bank from Florida for his funeral, to beryllium held connected Sunday.

“This news has been devastating for nan full family,” Muhammed said.

Nizar Milbes, a adjacent family friend presently visiting nan West Bank from California, told NBC News that galore residents of al-Mazra’a ash-Sharqiya are Americans.

The municipality was known for its rolling hills and oliva trees wherever galore modern Palestinian homes are built, including immoderate of nan West Bank’s much opulent houses. Families gathered to barbecue and relax, galore of them travelling from nan U.S. for vacation, but Milbes said increasing settler unit has transformed nan area.

“There’s thing near complete present for group to enjoy, nan settlers person taken everything,” he told NBC News. “People can’t moreover spell location anymore. The settlers person burned nan picnic homes, they’ve encroached and put their worldly there.”

In March, a United Nations report warned that settler unit had “increased successful a ambiance of continuing impunity.”

Yesh Din, an Israeli quality authorities group, said settlers look minimal ineligible consequences for unit perpetrated against Palestinians. Between 2005 and 2023, much than 93% of each investigations were closed without an indictment and only 3% of investigations led to a conviction, according to a report by nan organization.

“The debased condemnation complaint sends nan connection that nan rule enforcement system, successful its entirety, does not see settler unit to beryllium a superior issue, contributing to nan perpetrators’ consciousness of immunity,” the study said.

Since October 2023, 961 Palestinians person been killed successful nan West Bank, according to a database maintained by nan United Nations Office for nan Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, a crisp emergence from erstwhile years.

CAIR-Florida, nan Florida section of nan Council connected American-Islamic Relations, a nationwide Muslim civilian authorities and defense organization, condemned Israeli settlers “backed and enabled by nan Israeli government,” for Musallet’s death, and called connected President Donald Trump to “put America first.”

“This execution is only nan latest sidesplitting of an American national by forbidden Israeli settlers aliases soldiers,” nan connection said. “Every different execution of an American national has gone unpunished by nan American government, which is why nan Israeli authorities keeps wantonly sidesplitting American Palestinians and, of course, different Palestinians.”

In April, 14-year-old American Amer Rabee was changeable and killed by Israeli soldiers. His family said he was picking almonds, nan IDF said he was throwing rocks. In September 2024, Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, was changeable dormant by an Israeli worker during a objection against West Bank settlements.

American citizens Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour and Tawfic Hafeth Abdel Jabbar, some 17, were killed by Israeli occurrence successful abstracted incidents successful February and January 2024.