logo
Palestinian-American beaten to death by Israeli settlers in occupied West Bank, another man shot dead, health ministry says

Palestinian-American beaten to death by Israeli settlers in occupied West Bank, another man shot dead, health ministry says

CNN6 days ago
Israeli settlers killed a 20-year-old Palestinian-American man in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and an eyewitness, as settler violence against Palestinians ramps up in the occupied territory.
Twenty-year-old Sayfollah Musallet 'was martyred after being severely beaten all over his body by settlers in the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah,' the health ministry said in a statement on Friday.
The municipality of Sinjel said that Musallet died following a 'barbaric attack' carried out by settlers as part of 'daily assaults' on local residents. It alleged Israeli forces stormed the area at the same time as the settlers' attack, obstructing the work of paramedics and volunteers.
A friend of the deceased man's family told CNN he was with Musallet and took him to a hospital in Ramallah, adding the young man was an American citizen born in Tampa, Florida.
Israel's military said it was 'aware of reports regarding a Palestinian civilian killed and a number of injured Palestinians as a result of the confrontation, and they are being looked into by the ISA [Israeli Security Agency] and Israel Police.'
Musallet's family is demanding the US State Department lead an investigation into the incident.
'We are devastated that our beloved Sayfollah Musallet (nicknamed Saif) was brutally beaten to death by Israeli settlers while he was protecting his family's land from settlers who were attempting to steal it,' the family said in a statement.
'We demand justice.'
The US State Department said in a statement to CNN that it is aware of reports of the death of an American in the West Bank, without providing a name.
'Out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones during this difficult time, we have no further comment,' a department spokesperson said.
Musallet ran a business in Tampa and had been in the West Bank since June 4 to visit family and friends, the family statement said.
A second Palestinian man died in the attack in Sinjel after he was shot in the chest by settlers, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. Ten others were wounded in the same attack, it added.
Following the attacks, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticised what it called Israel's expanding settlement projects in the occupied territory and called for urgent action to hold the perpetrators of settler violence accountable.
Israel has recently ramped up military operations in the West Bank, displacing tens of thousands of Palestinians and razing entire communities as it targets what it says are militants operating in the territory.
Multiple American citizens have been killed in the West Bank in the past few years, according to Palestinian officials and eyewitnesses, including a 14-year-old boy whom the Israeli military shot dead last April in what they described as a 'counterterrorism operation.'
Israeli soldiers also shot dead a 26-year-old woman during a protest against an Israeli settlement in September 2024.
CNN's Ibrahim Dahman contributed to this report.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

EPA, Norfolk Southern manipulated East Palestine soil testing data, report says
EPA, Norfolk Southern manipulated East Palestine soil testing data, report says

CBS News

timea day ago

  • CBS News

EPA, Norfolk Southern manipulated East Palestine soil testing data, report says

A new report alleges that soil samples following the 2023 fiery train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio were manipulated by the EPA and Norfolk Southern. The whistleblower group Government Accountability Project uncovered a letter they say allegedly proves negligence in testing for contaminated soil at the site of the crash. According to the document, Norfolk Southern's contractor published a plan, but the Environmental Protection Agency then updated that plan the next day, directing that additional samples be taken in more heavily impacted locations. This letter goes hand in hand with two other whistleblowers whose claims say that environmental testing wasn't conducted properly. According to the whistleblowers, the key flaw was that baseline samples were inappropriately collected based on likely wind directions near the time of the burn of chemicals like vinyl chloride and butyl acrylate. They say this compromised the entire sampling plan. Those whistleblowers also believe that officials who tested intentionally avoided testing in areas to show dioxin contamination. East Palestine and Norfolk Southern previously agreed to a $22 million settlement earlier this year. It's unknown if anything will come from the alleged claims of wrong soil sampling.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store