Will US hold settlers who killed American citizen in West Bank accountable?
Sarah Leah Whitson, the head of rights group DAWN, says Washington is not likely to hold anyone to account after Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank beat to death a 20-year-old US citizen.
“There are limited circumstances under a law that allows the US government to pursue the murderers of American citizens overseas,” she said, adding that there are certain conditions and limitations to implementation of the process.
She stressed that the US brought charges against six senior Hamas officials for killing 40 American citizens in the October 2023 attack on Israel.
“What is really missing [in the current case] is the political will from the United States government to protect American citizens of Palestinian origin or Americans protesting Israeli actions in the West Bank,” Whitson said.
“What it really does is it sets a precedent of encouragement and sets a precedent for open season on Americans just as there is open season on Palestinians,” she added.
Family of American killed by Israeli settlers demands US probe
The family of Sayfollah Musallet, a 20-year-old US citizen from Florida who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, is calling on Washington to launch its own probe into the incident and hold the perpetrators accountable.
Musallet’s family said in a statement that Israeli settlers surrounded him for three hours during the assault on Friday and attacked medics who were attempting to reach him.
The slain young man, known as Saif, was a “kind, hard-working, and deeply-respected young man, working to build his dreams”, the family said.
“This is an unimaginable nightmare and injustice that no family should ever have to face,” the statement added.
“We demand the US State Department lead an immediate investigation and hold the Israeli settlers who killed Saif accountable for their crimes. We demand justice.”
Israeli settlers lynched 20-year-old Palestinian American Sayfollah Musallet, while U.S. officials stayed silent.
Sayfollah was born and raised in Florida. He was visiting family for the summer in the West Bank when settlers beat him to death while he protested illegal land… pic.twitter.com/W4zG8OFD9b
— ADC National (@adc) July 12, 2025
