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Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Anger turns towards Washington in West Bank town mourning two men killed by settlers
Frustration among Palestinians grew towards the United States on Sunday as mourners packed the roads to a cemetery in the Israeli-occupied West Bank town of Al-Mazr'a Ash-Sharqiya for the burial of two men, one of them a Palestinian American, killed by settlers. Palestinian health authorities and witnesses said Sayfollah Musallet, 21, was beaten to death, and Hussein Al-Shalabi, 23, was shot in the chest by settlers during a confrontation on Friday night. Most of the small town's roughly 3,000 residents share family ties to the United States and many hold citizenship, including Musallet, who was killed weeks after flying to visit his mother in Al-Mazr'a Ash-Sharqiya, where he traveled most summers from Tampa, Florida. 'There's no accountability,' said his father Kamel Musallet, who flew from the United States to bury his son. 'We demand the United States government do something about it ... I don't want his death to go in vain.' Israeli killings of US citizens in the West Bank in recent years include those of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestinian American teenager Omar Mohammad Rabea and Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi. A US State Department spokesperson said on Friday it was aware of the latest death, but that the department had no further comment 'out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones' of the victim. Many family and community members said they expected more, including that the United States would spearhead an investigation into who was responsible. A US State Department spokesperson on Sunday referred questions on an investigation to the Israeli government and said it 'has no higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas.' The Israeli military had earlier said Israel was probing the incident. It said confrontations between Palestinians and settlers broke out after Palestinians threw rocks at Israelis, lightly injuring them. 'Betrayal' Musallet's family said medics tried to reach him for three hours before his brother managed to carry him to an ambulance, but he died before reaching the hospital. Local resident Domi, 18, who has lived in Al-Mazr'a Ash-Sharqiya for the last four years after moving back from the United States, said fears had spread in the community since Friday and his parents had discussed sending him to the United States. 'If people have sons like this they are going to want to send them back to America because it's just not safe for them,' he said. He had mixed feelings about returning, saying he wanted to stay near his family's land, which they had farmed for generations, and that Washington should do more to protect Palestinians in the West Bank. 'It's a kind of betrayal,' he said. Settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023, according to rights groups. Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian street attacks in recent years and the Israeli military has intensified raids across the West Bank. Around 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war. US President Donald Trump in January rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Malik, 18, who used to visit Musallet's ice-cream shop in Tampa and had returned to the West Bank for a few months' vacation, said his friend's death had made him question his sense of belonging. 'I was born and raised in America, I only come here two months of a 12-month year, if I die like that nobody's going to be charged for my murder,' he said, standing in the cemetery shortly before his friend was buried. 'No one's going to be held accountable.'
Arab News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Anger turns toward Washington in West Bank town mourning two men killed by settlers
AL-MAZRA'A ASH-SHARQIYA, West Bank: Frustration among Palestinians grew toward the United States on Sunday as mourners packed the roads to a cemetery in the Israeli-occupied West Bank town of Al-Mazr'a Ash-Sharqiya for the burial of two men, one of them a Palestinian American, killed by settlers. Palestinian health authorities and witnesses said Sayfollah Musallet, 21, was beaten to death, and Hussein Al-Shalabi, 23, was shot in the chest by settlers during a confrontation on Friday night. Most of the small town's roughly 3,000 residents share family ties to the United States and many hold citizenship, including Musallet, who was killed weeks after flying to visit his mother in Al-Mazr'a Ash-Sharqiya, where he traveled most summers from Tampa, Florida. 'There's no accountability,' said his father Kamel Musallet, who flew from the United States to bury his son. 'We demand the United States government do something about it ... I don't want his death to go in vain.' Israeli killings of US citizens in the West Bank in recent years include those of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestinian American teenager Omar Mohammad Rabea and Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi. A US State Department spokesperson said on Friday it was aware of the latest death, but that the department had no further comment 'out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones' of the victim. Many family and community members said they expected more, including that the United States would spearhead an investigation into who was responsible. A US State Department spokesperson on Sunday referred questions on an investigation to the Israeli government and said it 'has no higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas.' The Israeli military had earlier said Israel was probing the incident. It said confrontations between Palestinians and settlers broke out after Palestinians threw rocks at Israelis, lightly injuring them. 'Betrayal' Musallet's family said medics tried to reach him for three hours before his brother managed to carry him to an ambulance, but he died before reaching the hospital. Local resident Domi, 18, who has lived in Al-Mazr'a Ash-Sharqiya for the last four years after moving back from the United States, said fears had spread in the community since Friday and his parents had discussed sending him to the United States. 'If people have sons like this they are going to want to send them back to America because it's just not safe for them,' he said. He had mixed feelings about returning, saying he wanted to stay near his family's land, which they had farmed for generations, and that Washington should do more to protect Palestinians in the West Bank. 'It's a kind of betrayal,' he said. Settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023, according to rights groups. Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian street attacks in recent years and the Israeli military has intensified raids across the West Bank. Around 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war. US President Donald Trump in January rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Malik, 18, who used to visit Musallet's ice-cream shop in Tampa and had returned to the West Bank for a few months' vacation, said his friend's death had made him question his sense of belonging. 'I was born and raised in America, I only come here two months of a 12-month year, if I die like that nobody's going to be charged for my murder,' he said, standing in the cemetery shortly before his friend was buried. 'No one's going to be held accountable.'
Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Anger turns towards Washington in West Bank town mourning two men killed by settlers
AL-MAZRA'A ASH-SHARQIYA, West Bank, July 13 (Reuters) - Frustration among Palestinians grew towards the United States on Sunday as mourners packed the roads to a cemetery in the Israeli-occupied West Bank town of Al-Mazr'a Ash-Sharqiya for the burial of two men, one of them a Palestinian American, killed by settlers. Palestinian health authorities and witnesses said Sayfollah Musallet, 21, was beaten to death, and Hussein Al-Shalabi, 23, was shot in the chest by settlers during a confrontation on Friday night. Most of the small town's roughly 3,000 residents share family ties to the United States and many hold citizenship, including Musallet, who was killed weeks after flying to visit his mother in Al-Mazr'a Ash-Sharqiya, where he travelled most summers from Tampa, Florida. "There's no accountability," said his father Kamel Musallet, who flew from the United States to bury his son. "We demand the United States government do something about it ... I don't want his death to go in vain." Israeli killings of U.S. citizens in the West Bank in recent years include those of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestinian American teenager Omar Mohammad Rabea and Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Friday it was aware of the latest death, but that the department had no further comment "out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones" of the victim. Many family and community members said they expected more, including that the United States would spearhead an investigation into who was responsible. A U.S. State Department spokesperson on Sunday referred questions on an investigation to the Israeli government and said it "has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas." The Israeli military had earlier said Israel was probing the incident. It said confrontations between Palestinians and settlers broke out after Palestinians threw rocks at Israelis, lightly injuring them. Musallet's family said medics tried to reach him for three hours before his brother managed to carry him to an ambulance, but he died before reaching the hospital. Local resident Domi, 18, who has lived in Al-Mazr'a Ash-Sharqiya for the last four years after moving back from the United States, said fears had spread in the community since Friday and his parents had discussed sending him to the United States. "If people have sons like this they are going to want to send them back to America because it's just not safe for them," he said. He had mixed feelings about returning, saying he wanted to stay near his family's land, which they had farmed for generations, and that Washington should do more to protect Palestinians in the West Bank. "It's a kind of betrayal," he said. Settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023, according to rights groups. Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian street attacks in recent years and the Israeli military has intensified raids across the West Bank. Around 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war. U.S. President Donald Trump in January rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Malik, 18, who used to visit Musallet's ice-cream shop in Tampa and had returned to the West Bank for a few months' vacation, said his friend's death had made him question his sense of belonging. "I was born and raised in America, I only come here two months of a 12-month year, if I die like that nobody's going to be charged for my murder," he said, standing in the cemetery shortly before his friend was buried. "No one's going to be held accountable."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
US citizen killed in West Bank settler attack
RAMALLAH, West Bank, July 11 (Reuters) — A Palestinian American man was beaten to death by settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and a second man was shot dead, the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement, in a confrontation overnight. U.S. citizen Sayafollah Musallet, 20, also known as Saif, was severely beaten in the incident on Friday evening in Sinjil, north of Ramallah, the ministry said. Hussein Al-Shalabi, 23 was shot in the chest. Musallet's family, from Tampa Florida, said in a statement that medics tried to reach him for three hours before his brother managed to carry him to an ambulance, but that he died before reaching the hospital. 'This is an unimaginable nightmare and injustice that no family should ever have to face. We demand the U.S. State Department lead an immediate investigation and hold the Israeli settlers who killed Saif accountable for their crimes,' the family statement said. 40 Palestinians killed in Gaza as Netanyahu, Trump meet in DC A U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Friday it was aware of the incident, but that the department had no further comment 'out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones' of the reported victim. The Israeli military said Israel was probing the incident in the town of Sinjil. It said confrontations between Palestinians and settlers broke out after Palestinians threw rocks at Israelis, lightly injuring them. The military said forces were dispatched to the scene and used non-lethal weapons to disperse the crowds. Settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023, according to rights groups. Jewish population in West Bank keeps rising. Settlers hope Trump will accelerate growth Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian street attacks in recent years and the Israeli military has intensified raids across the West Bank. U.S. President Donald Trump in January rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Israeli killings of U.S. citizens in the West Bank in recent years include those of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestinian American teenager Omar Mohammad Rabea and Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi. The United Nations' highest court said last year Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, and settlements there were illegal and should be withdrawn as soon as possible. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the land, which it captured in the 1967 Middle East war. The West Bank is among the territories that Palestinians seek for an independent state. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The National
3 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Palestinian-American man 'beaten to death' by Israeli settlers, authorities say
A Palestinian-American man was beaten to death and a second man was shot dead during a settler attack on a village in the occupied West Bank on Friday, Palestinian authorities said. The ruling Fatah party said Saif Al Din Musallat, 23, was a US citizen, and condemned the attack, which it described as a 'policy of the occupying state's practice of systemic terrorism'. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the second victim as Hussein Al Shalabi, 23, and said he was shot in the chest. The Wafa news agency said 10 others were wounded in the attack. The US State Department did not comment directly on the killing of Mr Musallat. 'We are aware of reports of the death of a US citizen in the West Bank,' a department representative told The National. 'Out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones during this difficult time, we have no further comment.' Mr Musallat's family in Tampa, Florida, issued a statement calling on the State Department to take action. 'This is an unimaginable nightmare and injustice that no family should ever have to face. We demand the US State Department lead an immediate investigation and hold the Israeli settlers who killed Saif accountable for their crimes,' the family statement said. Annas Abu El Ezz, spokesman for the Palestinian Health Ministry, told AFP that Mr Musallat 'died after being severely beaten all over his body by settlers in the town of Sinjil', about 15km north-east of Ramallah. The Florida Palestine Network mourned his loss. 'The young man was injured and remained so for four hours. The army prevented us from reaching him and did not allow us to take him away,' Abdul Samad Abdul Aziz, from the nearby village of Al Mazraa Al Sharqiya, told AFP. 'When we finally managed to reach him, he was taking his last breath.' The Israeli military said clashes broke out between Palestinians and Israelis after rocks were thrown at Israeli civilians near Sinjil, lightly injuring two. It said the ensuing 'violent confrontation … included vandalism of Palestinian property, arson, physical clashes, and rock hurling'. 'We are aware of reports regarding a Palestinian civilian killed and a number of injured Palestinians as a result of the confrontation,' the military said. Violence between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank has risen in recent years, with settler attacks becoming more frequent since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. Israeli killings of US citizens in the West Bank include those of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestinian-American teenager Omar Mohammad Rabea and Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi.
