A funeral took place on Sunday in the West Bank for a Palestinian American man from Tampa, along with his friend, who were reportedly killed by Israeli settlers.
Mourners waved Palestinian flags and chanted “God is great,” as both men’s bodies were carried through the streets.
The Palestinian Health Ministry reports that 20-year-old Sayafollah Musallet, known as Saif, was beaten to death on Friday while he was visiting relatives in Sinjil. Authorities stated that his friend suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest.
Sayafollah’s father, Kamil Musallet, said the alleged attack happened on his family’s land and is calling on the U.S. government to investigate.
“We demand justice against these settler terrorists. Without a doubt, they are on land that is not rightfully theirs. We urge the U.S. government to take action. They often speak of ‘justice, justice, justice,’ yet as Palestinians, we are dehumanized. To them, we do not qualify as normal humans,” said a family spokesperson.
Israel’s military said Palestinians hurled rocks at Israelis in the area, lightly wounding two people and setting off a larger confrontation.
The State Department said it had no comment out of respect for the family.
