On Tuesday, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, urged Israeli authorities to “vigorously investigate” the death of Sayfollah Musallet, a 20-year-old Palestinian-American. Musallet reportedly succumbed to a beating by extremist settlers in the West Bank village of Sinjil last Friday.
“I have requested Israel to thoroughly investigate the murder of Saif Mussallet, an American citizen who was visiting family in Sinjil when he was fatally attacked,” Huckabee posted on X. “This criminal and terrorist act requires accountability. Saif was only 20 years old,” he added.
According to the family, Musallet was visiting the West Bank from Tampa, Florida, to reconnect with relatives and visit family-owned farmland.
Mourners gather for prayers during Sayfollah Musallet and Mohammed al-Shalabi’s funeral in the West Bank village of Al-Mazraa a-Sharqiya, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
The Palestinian Health Ministry said Musallet was fatally beaten during an attack by settlers in the area. Another man, 23-year-old Mohammed al-Shalabi, was shot in the chest and also killed during the same incident.
Sources in the Israeli police told Haaretz newspaper that the lack of an autopsy and the fact that the bodies were not transferred to Israeli authorities may complicate the investigation.
Mourners gather around the graves of Palestinian-American Sayfollah Musallet, 20, and Mohammed al-Shalabi during their funeral in the West Bank village of Al-Mazraa a-Sharqiya on Sunday, July 13, 2025. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, Musallet was killed in an attack by Israeli settlers and al-Shalabi was shot in the chest. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
A military court also released Abdullah Hamida, a Palestinian resident arrested during the settler raid, criticizing police conduct. During the hearing, the police representative admitted he was unaware that any Palestinians had been killed, and incorrectly claimed the only wounded were settlers.
The State Department acknowledged awareness of the incident but declined further comment, Reuters reports, citing “respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones.”
