A 20-year-old Palestinian-American man from Tampa, Florida, was allegedly beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank on Friday while visiting relatives, according to his family and the Palestinian Health Ministry. The incident marks a disturbing escalation in settler-related violence in the region and has prompted calls for an immediate U.S.-led investigation.
The victim, Saifullah Kamel Musallet, had traveled to the Palestinian town of Sinjil, located north of Ramallah, to spend time with family. He was reportedly attacked while defending his family’s land, which has been the target of settler encroachment. According to a statement from his family, Musallet was surrounded for more than three hours by a group of settlers who blocked medical personnel from reaching him. After the crowd dispersed, his younger brother carried him to an ambulance, but Musallet succumbed to his injuries before arriving at the hospital.
The U.S. State Department confirmed that an American citizen died in the West Bank on Friday, though it referred investigative responsibilities to Israeli authorities. A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem stated that American officials have asked the Israeli government for additional information and are offering consular assistance to the family.
In a statement released Friday, the Israel Defense Forces acknowledged reports of the confrontation and said the matter is under review by the Israel Security Agency and Israel Police. However, no suspects have been publicly identified, and the specific individuals responsible for Musallet’s death remain unknown.
The Musallet family has urged the U.S. government to take a more active role. “We demand the U.S. State Department lead an immediate investigation and hold the Israeli settlers who killed Saif accountable for their crimes,” the family stated. As of now, the FBI has declined to comment, and the White House has not responded to requests from CBS News.
Local municipal leader Mohammed Saber Zaben, speaking to CBS News, described the broader context of the violence. He said settlers in the area have increasingly attacked Palestinian landowners, many of whom are U.S. citizens, in efforts to seize territory and build illegal outposts. Zaben noted that settlers have damaged property, assaulted residents, and prevented Palestinian farmers from accessing their land.
A second Palestinian man was also reportedly killed in related violence on Friday. The Palestinian Health Ministry stated that he was left to bleed for hours without medical attention.
Musallet’s cousin, Fatmah Muhammad, a business owner in Southern California, mourned his death, saying, “He worked at his family’s ice cream shop in Tampa and was loved by so many people there. He was always kind and compassionate.”
Musallet is now the fifth American citizen killed in the West Bank since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023. His death comes at a time of increasing concern over Israeli settler expansion and U.S. policy shifts regarding accountability for settler violence.
Under President Joe Biden, the U.S. imposed visa bans and sanctions in 2024 targeting individuals and groups involved in violence in the West Bank, including the Hilltop Youth, a far-right extremist group. However, in January, former President Donald Trump reversed some of those sanctions, lifting restrictions on settler groups previously accused of attacking Palestinians and undermining regional stability.
The change in U.S. policy, along with rising tensions in the West Bank, has created a volatile environment for Palestinian-American families who maintain ties to the region. Many fear that without clear international oversight and consistent diplomatic pressure, settler violence will continue unchecked.
At this time, it is unclear whether a formal investigation by the Israeli government will yield results or lead to accountability. The Musallet family has said they will continue pressing for answers and justice as they arrange to return Saifullah’s body to Florida for burial.
His death has become a stark symbol of the human cost of geopolitical conflict, and of the growing demands for international intervention to protect civilians—especially American citizens—from further violence in the occupied West Bank.
