U.S. Citizens Killed by Israeli Settlers in West Bank; Families Demand Investigation
Ayyad, 40, a father of five and former resident of Chicago, died on Thursday in the town of Silwad, near Ramallah, after settlers reportedly set fire to vehicles outside his home.
Family members say that when Ayyad went outside to extinguish the fire, Israeli soldiers confronted him and sprayed him with tear gas. According to the family, he died as a result of breathing in smoke and gas from the fire.
Second U.S. Citizen Killed in West Bank in July
His death follows the killing of another U.S. citizen, 20-year-old Sayfollah Musallet, who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers earlier in July in Sinjil, a nearby town. No arrests have been made in either case.
Standing beside Ayyad's family on Friday, William Asfour of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Chicago condemned the killing as 'murder.'
'We demand a full investigation from the Department of Justice,' he said. 'An American citizen was killed. Where's the accountability?'
Mahmoud Issa, Ayyad's cousin, said the attack took place around dawn. 'They torched the cars outside his house. He woke up to stop the fire, and the army came, firing gas. He died in front of his home.'
Growing Settler Violence and U.S. Silence
Settler attacks across the West Bank have intensified in recent months, especially since the launch of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023. Armed settlers, often accompanied by Israeli soldiers, have raided Palestinian communities, destroyed property, and attacked residents with near-total impunity. U.S. officials have described some of these attacks as acts of 'terrorism.'
The Israeli occupation forces have also escalated their own operations in the West Bank, carrying out raids, demolishing homes, and displacing families. Last month, the Israeli Knesset approved a non-binding resolution to annex the West Bank, and two senior ministers have since declared the moment ripe to assert full Israeli sovereignty over the territory.
Illinois State Representative Abdelnasser Rashid described Ayyad's death as part of a wider pattern of 'settler colonial violence.' He also urged the repeal of a state law that penalizes companies for boycotting Israel.
'This shameful state law helps shield Israel's violence and brutality from accountability,' he said.
CAIR's Asfour stressed that Ayyad's killing was not an isolated event.
'Another American was killed just weeks ago. How many more before the U.S. takes action to protect its citizens abroad? Settlers burn homes, soldiers back them up, and our government sends billions to fund all of this.'
There have been no arrests made more than 21 days after Musallet was killed. Since 2022, Israeli forces or settlers have killed at least ten Americans. There have been no criminal charges in any of these cases.
Meanwhile, 16-year-old American citizen Mohammed Ibrahim remains imprisoned by Israel without trial or contact with his family. He has been detained since February and is reportedly suffering from severe weight loss and a skin infection, according to relatives.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=66256
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Days of Palestine
15 hours ago
- Days of Palestine
GMO: Israel Systematically Creates Security Chaos to Steal Aid Trucks
DaysofPal- The Government Media Office (GMO) said on Saturday that only 73 humanitarian aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip yesterday, Friday, most of which were looted and stolen due to the security chaos systematically and deliberately created by the Israeli occupation. The statement indicated that these measures are part of a policy of 'engineering chaos and starvation' pursued by the Israeli occupation forces against Gaza's residents. It emphasized that the actual daily needs of the Gaza Strip amount to no less than 600 trucks of relief supplies and fuel to cover the minimum requirements of the health, service, and food sectors amid the complete collapse of infrastructure caused by the ongoing genocide war. Moreover, GMO strongly condemned the continued crime of starvation, the closure of crossings, and the prevention of humanitarian aid entry, holding the Israeli occupation and its allied states fully responsible for the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Gaza. It also called on the international community to pressure for the immediate opening of crossings and the entry of humanitarian aid, including sufficient quantities of infant formula, to prevent a worsening humanitarian catastrophe in the Strip. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
15 hours ago
- Days of Palestine
Israel Accused of Enabling Aid Looting to Undermine Gaza's Social Fabric
DaysofPal- As humanitarian aid trickles into Gaza through Israeli-controlled crossings, the aid rarely reaches the intended recipients. Instead, eyewitnesses and local analysts say it is being intercepted by armed gangs operating with impunity, turning Gaza's aid distribution into a tool of social collapse. Residents in the war-ravaged territory say the pattern is clear: aid trucks enter, media cameras roll, and scenes of international assistance are broadcast. However, beyond the optics, aid is hijacked by local groups allegedly shielded by Israel's selective enforcement, and the result is a desperate population forced to either submit to criminal control or face starvation. In a refugee camp in western Gaza, Umm Fadi, a mother of four, stirs a pot of water and lentils, her family's only meal for the day. 'We haven't had bread in three days,' she says, nothing. Even grass has become part of our meals. My children ask me, Mama, when will we eat again? And I have no answer.' She explains that flour enters Gaza but is sold at unaffordable prices. 'They say there's distribution, but one kilo costs 40 shekels. Who can afford that? The strong get the food. We survive on rumors.' She said. Two days ago, she witnessed looters tear flour sacks apart in daylight, adding, 'They fought over it with sticks and knives. There was blood on the floor. I'll never forget it.' Not far away, Abu Talal Ayash, a father of five, limps from a stab wound. 'I waited 12 hours under the sun for a chance to get flour. I finally grabbed a sack, but someone stabbed me in the leg and stole it.' He said. He says, 'This isn't random crime; this is organized theft, where the aid comes in and is resold at ten times the price, and Israel sees it all and says nothing. They're starving us or letting us be killed for food.' Political analyst Talal Okal believes the looting is part of a deliberate Israeli strategy. 'This isn't just a breakdown caused by war; it's a calculated plan to fracture Gaza's society from within,' he says. Okal argues that Israel restricts the quantity and timing of aid deliveries, then leaves them vulnerable to chaos. 'The goal is more than hunger; it's to destroy trust and dissolve the social fabric that once held this community together.' Okal said. He adds that the international fallout works in the Israeli occupation's favor. 'When the world sees Gaza spiraling into chaos, Israel can say, 'Look, these people are ungovernable. It justifies further crackdowns or even future takeovers under the guise of restoring order.' He said. According to Okal, the broader danger lies in what he calls a 'silent war,' as the Israeli occupation doesn't need bombs for this phase,' he says. 'They use hunger, fear, and internal collapse. It's a war that erodes values and turns survival into savagery.' He added. For many in Gaza, the desperation is no longer just about feeding their children, it's about defending their dignity in the face of engineered anarchy, and as aid continues to flow in without reaching the people, hunger has become a weapon, and the looters its frontline soldiers. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
15 hours ago
- Days of Palestine
UN: Israel kills Over 1,370 Aid Seekers Since May
DaysofPal-The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has revealed that 1,373 Palestinians have been killed while waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza since May, when the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) took over aid distribution in the territory. According to the UN, most of the victims were killed by Israeli military forces. Of the total number, 859 people were killed near aid sites operated by GHF, and 514 others were killed while waiting along food convoy routes. The victims included women, children, and elderly individuals, many of whom were seeking food for their families amid a deepening famine in the besieged enclave. 'The Israeli military mostly committed these killings,' the UN said in its statement. It added that the nature of these attacks, targeting civilians at known aid distribution points, may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity. Since the GHF system replaced UN-led aid mechanisms, humanitarian groups have raised serious concerns about its ineffectiveness and dangers. With UNRWA and other international organizations sidelined, aid convoys and drop sites have become chaotic and unprotected, turning into 'death traps.' Many of the civilians killed were reportedly shot by Israeli snipers or struck by drone and artillery fire while gathering around food trucks or attempting to catch food packages dropped by air. In some cases, entire families were gunned down within sight of aid workers and journalists. Meanwhile, Gaza's humanitarian crisis has worsened, and the World Food Program reports that one in every three people in Gaza is going days without food, while three-quarters of the population face emergency levels of hunger. The UN's Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has warned that famine is spreading and could escalate into a full-scale crisis without urgent intervention. Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have called for an independent investigation into the killings and demanded accountability at the international level. Legal experts say Israel's systematic targeting of starving civilians may meet the criteria for genocide under international law. The findings have also intensified scrutiny of US involvement in Gaza's aid infrastructure. Despite growing criticism, the United States continues to support GHF, which was created as an alternative to UN agencies. Last week, a senior US envoy visited GHF sites and described the program as 'promising,' drawing sharp rebukes from rights advocates. The OHCHR has urged Israel and its partners to allow the full resumption of humanitarian aid under international oversight and to ensure the protection of civilians. So far, no international investigation has been launched, and the killings continue. Shortlink for this post:
