RAMALLAH: The family of a US-Palestinian man killed in an Israeli settler attack in the occupied West Bank has demanded that Washington launch an investigation into his death.
Saif al-Din Kamil Abdul Karim Musalat, a 20-year-old from Florida, was beaten to death on Friday in Sinjil, a village north of Ramallah, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Musalat had travelled to the West Bank last month to visit relatives. His family described him as a “kind, hard-working and deeply respected” individual who was deeply connected to his Palestinian roots. They said he was defending his family’s land from settlers attempting to seize it when the attack occurred.
The Palestinian health ministry reported that a second man, 23-year-old Mohammed Rizq Hussein al-Shalabi, died after being shot and left bleeding for hours during the same incident. Israel’s military stated that violence erupted after Palestinians threw rocks at Israelis, lightly injuring two.
Musalat’s family accused settlers of blocking an ambulance from reaching him as he lay injured, leading to his death before he could receive medical care. “We demand the US State Department lead an immediate investigation and hold the Israeli settlers who killed Saif accountable for their crimes,“ the family said in a statement.
Rights groups have condemned increasing settler violence in the West Bank, with the UN noting attacks occur in a climate of “impunity.” Recent clashes in Sinjil, witnessed by AFP journalists, highlight escalating tensions. Since the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, violence in the West Bank has surged, with Palestinian health ministry figures reporting at least 955 Palestinian deaths, including civilians. – AFP
