Sayfollah Musallet, a young Palestinian-American from Tampa, Florida, was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank town of Sinjil, according to his family and rights groups. The incident, which took place north of Ramallah, also resulted in the fatal shooting of another Palestinian, Mohammed Shalabi.
Musallet had travelled to Palestine to visit family and was attacked during an outbreak of settler violence. The US State Department acknowledged the reports but refrained from further comment, citing privacy concerns.
Escalating Settler Violence in West Bank Backed by Military and Political Inaction
Human rights organizations have long documented violent actions by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, often with support or protection from the Israeli military. These attacks include home invasions, arson, and even killings of Palestinians, and have been described as pogroms by some observers.
Witnesses and advocates argue that the military not only fails to stop the violence but sometimes actively participates in or shoots Palestinians who resist. The continued expansion and militarization of settlements are seen as part of a broader strategy to displace Palestinians from their land.
The United Nations and major human rights groups consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. Despite this, violence from settlers has escalated, especially following the war in Gaza that began in October 2023.
While some Western nations like France and Australia have sanctioned violent settlers, the U.S. has taken a different approach. Under President Trump’s administration, sanctions previously imposed by President Biden were lifted. Advocates argue that this lack of accountability encourages further violence.
Rights Groups Demand Accountability as U.S. Citizens Die with No Justice Served
Musallet’s killing adds to a growing list of U.S. citizens who have died at the hands of Israeli forces or settlers without any resulting prosecutions. Notably, journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was among at least nine U.S. citizens killed by Israeli forces since 2022.
Rights advocates such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) have criticized the U.S. government for failing to protect its citizens abroad and continuing to provide billions of dollars in aid to Israel despite repeated abuses.
CAIR and other organizations are demanding that the U.S. government hold Israel accountable for Musallet’s death, warning that failure to do so perpetuates a cycle of impunity. The Israeli military claimed that the violence began with Palestinians throwing stones, leading to clashes involving property destruction and physical confrontations.
However, rights groups argue that such investigations rarely lead to justice. Meanwhile, violence in the West Bank and Gaza continues, with over 57,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza alone, in what some human rights advocates have labeled a genocide.
