Latest news with #WestBankViolence
Al Mayadeen
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Israeli settlers kill American-Palestinian visiting West Bank
Israeli settlers killed 20-year-old Palestinian-American, Sayfollah 'Saif' Musallet, while he was visiting relatives on his family's farm near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. According to his family, settlers beat Musallet, and ambulances were blocked from reaching him for three hours, causing his death from injuries before he could be hospitalized. Musallet's friend, Mohammed Nael Hijaz, who was the first to reach him, described him as unresponsive and barely breathing. Another man, 23-year-old Razek Hussein al-Shalabi, was also fatally shot during the attack and left to bleed out, as reported by the Palestinian Health Ministry. Settler attacks are escalating across the occupied West Bank as part of the Israeli occupation's ongoing efforts to occupy more Palestinian territory. These incursions are taking place under direct military protection and with full political backing from the Israeli government, according to rights groups and local sources. The Israeli military claimed that stones were thrown at Israelis and that a violent confrontation ensued, alleging it was investigating the incident. Both men will be buried together in a funeral on Sunday. The family has since demanded a full investigation by the US State Department into the killings and urged accountability for the Israeli settlers responsible for Saif's death. Witnesses to the incident revealed that Israeli soldiers were present during the confrontation. A spokesperson for the US Department of State confirmed awareness of reports regarding the death of a US citizen in the West Bank, stating that they were "ready to provide consular services," without further comments. Since October 7, three Palestinian-American teenagers have been killed in the West Bank, but "Israel" has not been held accountable for their deaths. Musallet, who was born and raised in Florida, had recently opened an ice cream shop in Tampa with his father. He had traveled to the West Bank in early June to visit relatives. 'He was a very sweet guy, full of hopes and dreams,' said Mohammed Nael Hijaz, who expressed deep sorrow over the inability to save his friend. Musallet was attacked on his family's farm in Baten al-Hawa, a town near occupied al-Quds, located in Area B. This area is under the administrative control of the Palestinian Authority but remains under Israeli military security control. A week prior, settlers had also attacked two journalists working for DW, a German broadcaster, in the same area. Despite the journalists wearing clearly marked press jackets, the settlers threw rocks at them, causing severe damage to their car. The German ambassador to "Israel" condemned the attack, and the Israeli military promised to investigate the incident. Rights groups have repeatedly accused the Israeli military of either standing by or actively assisting settlers as they raid Palestinian villages, vandalize property, and assault residents. Just two weeks ago, over 100 settlers stormed the village of Kafr Malek near Ramallah, killing three men and injuring several others. 'The settlers want to take over our land,' Hijaz explained. 'Their aggression is increasing by the day. The Israeli army comes to protect them and don't do anything to stop them from attacking us. No one can hold the settlers accountable.'
The Independent
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Leaders of Holy Land churches condemn Israeli settler violence during a West Bank visit
Top church leaders in the Holy Land asserted Monday that Israeli authorities 'facilitate and enable' the presence of Israeli settlers who have intensified attacks in recent weeks on the only entirely Christian Palestinian village remaining in the occupied West Bank. Speaking in the village on a rare solidarity visit, Taybeh, Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III and Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa denounced an incident last week when settlers set fires near the Taybeh community's church. They alleged that Israeli authorities failed to respond to emergency calls for help from the Palestinian community. In a separate statement, the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem demanded an investigation into the incident and called for the settlers to be held accountable by the Israeli authorities, "who facilitate and enable their presence around Taybeh.' The church leaders also claimed that settlers had brought their cattle to graze on Palestinian lands in the area, set fire to several homes last month and put up a sign reading 'there is no future for you here.' Israel's military did not immediately respond to the allegations. It has previously said it takes action against outlaw settlers and that many incidents of settler violence involve stone-throwing and clashes between Israeli settlers and Palestinians. The war in Gaza has sparked a surge of violence in the West Bank, with the Israeli military targeting militants in large-scale operations that have killed hundreds of Palestinians and displaced tens of thousands. That has coincided with a rise in settler violence and Palestinian attacks on Israelis. Palestinian militants have attacked and killed Israelis in Israel and the West Bank. Pizzaballa, the top Catholic cleric in the Holy Land — Israel and the Palestinian territories — said he believed the West Bank was becoming a lawless area. 'The only law (in the West Bank) is that of power, of those who have the force, not the law. We must work for the law to return to this part of the country, so anyone can appeal to the law to enforce their rights,' Pizzaballa told reporters. He and Theophilos prayed together in the church of St. George, whose religious site dates back centuries, adjacent to the area where settlers ignited the fires. The statement from the heads of churches comes as Palestinians report a surge of settler violence. On Sunday, hundreds descended on the village of Al-Mazraa a-Sharqiya, south of Taybeh, for the funeral of two young men killed during a settler attack on Friday. The Christian community in Israel and the Palestinian territories has dwindled as a percentage of the overall population over the decades, with experts citing lower birthrates and emigration by people fleeing conflict or seeking better opportunities abroad. Christians now make up a tiny percentage of the population. ___ Associated Press senior producer Jalal Bwaitel in Ramallah contributed.
