Family of Palestinian-American Beaten to Death by Israeli Settlers Demands US Probe – World news

The relatives of 20-year-old Sayfollah Musallet, a US citizen from Florida, said he was surrounded for hours and beaten to death by Israeli settlers on Friday while medics were prevented from reaching him.

“This is an unimaginable nightmare and injustice that no family should ever have to face,” the family said in a statement.

They called on the US State Department to immediately investigate the killing and prosecute those responsible.

The State Department acknowledged Musallet’s death but offered only generic condolences, saying it was prepared to provide consular assistance and citing privacy considerations to withhold further comment.

US administrations have repeatedly declined to pursue criminal accountability when Israeli forces and settlers have killed American citizens, instead claiming Israel can investigate its own conduct.

But Israeli probes almost never lead to charges or punishment, despite documented abuses against Palestinians and their supporters.

Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least nine Americans since 2022, including veteran journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

American Muslims for Palestine questioned whether US President Donald Trump would honor his promise to defend American interests.

“Will he uphold his ‘America First’ promise when it’s a Palestinian-American whose life was taken? Or will he once again bow his head to Israel, no matter the cost in blood?” AMP said.

The group stressed that justice must not depend on citizenship. Another Palestinian was also killed in the same attack on Saturday.

“Whether a Palestinian holds American citizenship or not, every single murder committed by this regime must be explicitly prohibited, punished, and condemned,” AMP added.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee denounced what it called the lynching of Musallet, accusing Washington of treating Palestinian-American lives as expendable.

Rights advocates noted that the US has the capacity to file criminal charges in such cases.

“What is really missing is the political will from the United States government to protect American citizens of Palestinian origin or Americans protesting Israeli actions,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, head of rights group DAWN.

“This pattern sets a precedent of encouragement for more violence, signaling open season on Americans just as there is open season on Palestinians.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations urged Americans to contact their lawmakers and demand condemnation of Musallet’s killing.

“This was not an isolated incident,” CAIR said.

“It was part of a long, unpunished pattern of violence against US citizens by Israeli soldiers and settlers.”