US ambassador urges Israel to investigate killing of Palestinian American in West Bank

The United States ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has urged Israeli authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the killing of a Palestinian American citizen in the occupied West Bank, describing the incident as both “criminal” and “terrorist” in nature.

The victim, 20-year-old Sayafollah Musallet, was reportedly beaten to death last Friday near the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah. According to his family, Musallet — a US citizen from Florida — was visiting relatives when he was attacked by a group of Israeli settlers. They allege that emergency medical services were delayed, and that he died before reaching hospital.

Ambassador Huckabee, a long-time supporter of Israel and its settlement policies, made an uncharacteristically direct public statement on Tuesday, saying on social media: “I have asked Israel to aggressively investigate the murder of Saif Musallet, an American citizen who was visiting family in Sinjil when he was beaten to death.”

Israeli military officials have confirmed that an inquiry is underway. They say clashes broke out after Palestinian residents allegedly threw stones at settlers, resulting in minor injuries. The army stated that it deployed non-lethal means to disperse the groups. Conflicting accounts of the incident remain unverified by independent sources.

The killing comes amid a marked rise in violence across the West Bank since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023. Attacks by settlers against Palestinians — and retaliatory violence by Palestinians — have become increasingly frequent.

In recent years, several US citizens have been killed in the West Bank, including Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and teenager Omar Mohammad Rabea. American-Israeli citizens have also been victims of deadly attacks, such as Elan Ganeles, who was fatally shot near the Jordan Valley in 2023.

The United Nations’ top court has ruled that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law and should be dismantled. Israel disputes this position, citing security concerns and historical claims to the land, which it captured during the 1967 war.