U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee stated Tuesday that he had “requested Israel to aggressively examine the homicide” of Saif Musallet, a Palestinian American nationwide who was visiting household within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution when “he was crushed to demise.”
“There have to be accountability for this legal and terrorist act,” Huckabee stated in a social media put up. “Saif was simply 20 yrs outdated.”
The household of Musallet, whose full identify was Saifullah Kamel Musallet, instructed CBS Information on Saturday that he was crushed to demise on Friday by Israeli settlers within the West Financial institution.
In a press release, they stated he was killed in a confrontation with settlers whereas making an attempt to guard his household’s land within the city of Sinjil, north of Ramallah, and that the settlers had surrounded him for greater than three hours, blocking an ambulance and paramedics from reaching him.
Offered by the Musallet Household
The household’s assertion stated his youthful brother carried him to an ambulance after the group cleared, however that Musallet died earlier than he was in a position to attain the hospital.
He had been on account of return to his house in Tampa, Florida, this week, his family members stated.
Musallet’s killing comes amid an improve in violence within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution, a spokesperson for the United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights, Thameen Al-Kheetan, stated Tuesday.
“Israeli settlers and safety forces have intensified their killings, assaults and harassment of Palestinians within the occupied West Financial institution, together with East Jerusalem, prior to now weeks,” Al-Kheetan stated.
He stated that “in the course of the first half of 2025, there have been 757 settler assaults that resulted in Palestinian casualties or property injury — a 13 per cent improve on the identical interval in 2024.”
“Israel should instantly cease these killings, harassment and residential demolitions throughout the occupied Palestinian territory,” Al-Kheetan stated. “Because the occupying energy, Israel should take all possible measures to make sure public order and security within the West Financial institution. It’s beneath the duty to guard Palestinians from settler assaults and to finish the illegal use of drive by its safety forces. There have to be thorough, unbiased and clear investigations into all killings and all different alleged violations of worldwide legislation. These accountable have to be held to account.”
The Israel Protection Forces instructed CBS Information on Wednesday that instantly “following the incident, a joint investigation was launched by the Israel Police and the Navy Police Felony Investigation Division.”
On Thursday, a U.S. State Division spokesperson provided condolences to the household and stated it was offering consular help. The spokesperson stated Israeli authorities had introduced the arrest of six folks in reference to the incident, however neither the IDF nor Israeli police replied to CBS Information’ questions concerning the investigation, and there was no affirmation from Israeli authorities of any arrests. Israeli media reported quickly after the incident that six folks have been detained however later launched.
On Friday, a spokesperson for the Israeli police stated the police and the IDF have been “at present finishing up a joint investigation concerning the demise of a Palestinian-American citizen, alleged to have occurred following a confrontation close to Sinjil.”
The assertion stated on the time of the incident, “safety forces restored order and made arrests on either side.”
“Though no official report was filed concerning a murder on the time the declare surfaced, and no entry to the physique was granted to permit for correct forensic examination or assortment of important proof, the police and IDF have nonetheless launched a proactive investigation to make clear the circumstances surrounding the circulating allegations. If legal actions are discovered to have occurred, accountability will likely be pursued in accordance with the legislation,” the police spokesperson stated.
Musallet’s household stated that they had not been knowledgeable of any arrests associated to his killing.
Final week, the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) referred to as on President Trump to carry Israel accountable for Musallet’s demise and “put America first.”
“This homicide is simply the newest killing of an American citizen by unlawful Israeli settlers or troopers,” CAIR-Florida Govt Director Imam Abdullah Jaber stated in a press release. “Each different homicide of an American citizen has gone unpunished by the American authorities, which is why the Israeli authorities retains wantonly killing American Palestinians and, after all, different Palestinians. If President Trump is not going to even put America first when Israel murders Americans, then that is really an Israel First administration.”
Different U.S. residents who’ve been killed within the Israel-occupied West Financial institution embrace Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who died in 2022, and activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, who was killed final yr. Each have been allegedly killed by Israeli forces, and the Israeli navy has stated it’s investigating, however no one has been held accountable for both of their deaths up to now.
